I'd Come For You
by iheartShules
Summary: Joss is saved by John who's supposed to be dead. But life after death for John has been nothing but torment. As shock gives way, Joss becomes determined to return the favor and save John, but can she before it's too late! :: AU/Supernatural (this is probably the only way I'll ever kill off any of my characters lol) Happy early Halloween my lovelies! CaReese centric!
1. Chapter 1

_**AN: This was inspired by my wish to write a Halloween Careese fic, and well this is the result! It's definitely AU for a couple reasons 1.) Joss lives on 2.) the end to 3x09 is different. 3.) it's supernatural lol. Hope you guys enjoy this it's very CaReese centric the other characters lend to their story in this and I have a few of my own characters that were very fun for me to write!**_

_**Thanks Elaine for proofing this for me! I owe you a million!**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing, the characters/show belong to their rightful owners I just enjoy taking them out for a spin }:D**_

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Present Day (July 30th 2014)

It was like she was coming out of a fog, no other way to describe it. The edges to her consciousness were growing sharper, crisper and clearer. Her body felt like it had been dragged by a semi-truck for several miles going at like 100 mph. Yep, she felt like road-kill or something even worse than road-kill. Was that even possible, her feeble mind wondered. Probably not, but it was how her mind and body felt at the moment. Her heart and soul were already pummeled, may as well add her body and mind too.

Joss struggled to open her eyes. She succeeded only to slam them shut again, cursing the damned light that greeted her sight. For the love of god, who turned on such a bright light? Joss opened her eyes, slamming them shut once more, but succeeding in keeping them open longer than prior. Soon her eyes remained open. Ah-ha, she thought with mild success.

Okay now that her eyes were open, she felt a little better. But not much, as she surveyed her surroundings. She wasn't in a hospital, nor at home, or at any familiar place whatsoever. Nope, this place was new to her senses. She groaned a bit trying to move, her body hating the idea. So she gave up. Instead she moved her head, shifting her eyes around trying to get a feel for where the hell she was. The ceiling was low, popcorn tiles, and was a stale off-white color; she bet Finch would grimace at a place such as this. Her eyes searched, she was in a double sized bed, comforter was neutral in color, the bed was firm and it had two nightstands one on each side of the bed. Her gaze moved off to the right, there was a lone small rectangular window with dark curtains covering the thing. But the sunlight filtered through still, warming her skin, and she smiled at least having a source of the light to her eyes.

"Son of a bitch," she moaned as she struggled, wiggled, and just barely sat up. Now that she was sitting up she could see she was in a bedroom, a tiny one at that; besides the bed and two nightstands there wasn't anything besides a sub-standard small four drawer dresser. There was a door next to the dresser which she assumed was a closet, and on the other side of the dresser was a doorway that lead to what she could only assume was a hallway to the rest of wherever she was. But she let out a squeak when she looked down at herself and saw she wasn't in her detective's garb anymore, nope, rather she was wearing an oversized New York Giants sweatshirt. Okay clearly someone had taken her clothes off, someone had dressed her in this, and someone had taken care of her as she gingerly touched her forehead where a bandage greeted her hand.

"Yep on all accounts," Joss jumped which jostled her already battered body before she looked up when a feminine voice greeted her. She stared at the pretty blonde standing in the threshold of the doorway, her blonde hair was long, and she had pretty aqua color eyes. "Sorry you dislike the room you're staying in."

"Uh…." She hadn't realized she was speaking out loud.

"You're so cute it's no wonder why he loves you so." Okay, this woman seemed nice enough but not all with it. The grin on the blonde beauty's face grew wider as if she was reading her thoughts. Great just what she needed some whackadoodle that was a mind reader seeing into her thoughts.

"Uh…." She said again not entirely sure what to say. So she chose something simple. "Who are you?"

"Where are my manners, I'm Margaret but you can call me Mags." She greeted before she gave her a curtsey like they were in the 1600s. "I'm only here to see your face when you get a load of him, he's been sort of mopey while you've been out of it, he blames himself for not getting to you before you got hurt even though we assured him he got to you in time." _We_, so that meant there was someone else here, and judging by the way she kept saying _he_, that must mean there was a guy too. "But my sister and I can already imagine how your reaction is going to be when you see him." Joss watched as the blonde pulled out a camera. "Care if I take a picture?"

"Er…." Who was this man that she was speaking of?

"So Joss what do you remember from last night?" the blonde changed the subject.

"Well," she paused realizing she remembered quite a bit. She had been ambushed; four males, two approaching her from behind while two had attacked her, and she recalled the beating she took. Joss was a decent fighter, but, when you're outnumbered two to one, and both male, she was on the losing side of things. She lost consciousness at some point, knowing that when she did she was dead. Well she wasn't dead, or at least she thought she wasn't, she didn't think heaven looked like this. She figured heaven would look different, with her already deceased family members, pearly white gates, and Jesus waiting for her.

The woman laughed happily, drawing her from her thoughts. "Nope, not heaven trust me, you're alive and well Jocelyn." Joss scowled as the blonde once more read her mind as if she was an open book. "But what do you remember?" this Mags woman steered the conversation back to last night.

"I was ambushed by four men while in pursuit of a man I was trying to protect." She answered slowly not knowing this woman from Adam, but, she did save her life.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no, I didn't save your life." The woman quickly assured with a quick shake of the head sending her hair flying.

"Will you stop reading my mind?! It's a little weird that you can do that!" Joss snapped and the woman giggled.

"Sorry I forget to let you people speak your mind first. Ooh, he's getting out of the shower…" the crazy blonde chick actually got all quiet and waited. What surprised her is that she hadn't heard the shower going but there was a distinct sound of movement coming from her left. Joss heard a door open.

"Oh thank god, you're awake." Her sore body froze as her head swiveled to the side, the side she hadn't even paid any attention to, to the side that had another door that obviously lead to a bathroom. She watched in shock as the man she knew like the back of her hand, exited that said bathroom in nothing but a towel. "Joss, you're looking at me like you seen a ghost." He teased.

"I….John….you….died….in my arms….." She stuttered and Joss did something she never done before, she fainted.

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AN: A short and sweet chapter! And this story is going to be updated more frequently then Entangled II since Entangled II is longer and it gives me a chance to finish the third and final story of the Entangled series lol. So expect a couple updates for this story a week. I'd Come For You is not a long story it has 8 chapters in length, and it was originally going to be posted the week of Halloween but I changed my mind. I have a better story to post on Halloween (*ravenhusker it's coming }:P*)

Again thanks Elaine for reading all my stuff I have thrown at you! You have still more stories to proof for me like the huge rewrite of season 3 I did, and I appreciate everything you have done for me!

And sorry no teasers for the next chapter since chapter 2 is told in flashback form, but I'll get back to teasers after chapter 2, I promise! Thanks for reading I hope you guys are ready for this supernatural ride, it's my first try!


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: A couple things before you guys read on, one this is AU from the events of 3x09, things happen differently just as an friendly reminder. Secondly this whole chapter is told in flashback. There are two dates one of which is November** **14th and I have to be honest I cheated and looked up wiki for Joss Carter to find out the correct date her character died on the show. I kept thinking November 19th for some reason. The other date is a day before the events that transpired in chapter 1, I just wanted to make sure that's clarified. The two different flashbacks will be split up by a line-bar.** **And lastly there is a bit of violence it's not too graphic but everyone's threshold is different so I wanted to make sure you guys knew about it! Okay carry on :)**_

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_November 14__th__ 2013_

"_I'm Carter," she said after she sat down on the tabletop. Her eyes on the man that had come to mean so much to her, to the man that had helped her bring down HR, risked his life for her, and opened his heart up to her. She couldn't believe that kiss in the morgue actually did happen, but it did, and she now felt awkward around John. But it was a good awkward the type of awkward that she knew would only last for so long, before they actually took the plunge and figured out whatever it was between them. And whenever they both were ready to figure it out, she knew it would be worth waiting for, and she couldn't wait for that day to come. "You didn't give us a name." Joss said playing up that he was a John Doe._

"_Seems like the only time you need a name now is when you're in trouble," his soft whispery voice always could cause a shiver, could always cause her to smile, and feel warm inside. Now, it was no different, but the feeling was intensified. The way he casually looked up at her, then back at the cup of water in front of him, let her know he was trying to figure out where they stood too. And that made her feel good inside, that she wasn't the only one mucking through this. "So….am I in trouble?" he asked, and his soft smile, made one cross her face._

"_Not today, I already got your release papers, no charges are going to be filed against you but next time; do not carry a weapon unless you have a permit." She said casually back, before standing up. "I'll walk you out, sir." She offered._

"_I'll take you up on that offer, detective." He purred as he slowly stood up, their faces inches apart for a few moments before he straightened to full height. He towered over her short five foot four frame. She noticed his gaze dropped to her lips, she wanted to moan, but instead her gaze dropped to his mouth. She wondered what it would feel like his mouth on hers more firmly, more demanding, and she wondered what he would do if she kissed him right this second. But she forced the silly thought away. No kissing in the precinct, no matter what! She led him out, he followed right behind her, cops didn't say a word, and she noticed the way he was holding his one arm close. He had been injured in the takedown of HR, she figured, but she also knew this proud man would not say a word about whatever wound he had._

_They exited into the cool November's night air. It was cooling, but not cold yet, so her leather jacket warded off the chill. "Got your man locked up, Carter, must feel good." He spoke as they took the steps of the precinct, all pretenses that they didn't know one another dropped, as she carried his personal effects. _

"_Not all of them still haven't been able to locate our pal Simmons." She said as she took a look around as she walked with him to the side of the precinct away from prying eyes, never could be too careful. Simmons could be lurking anywhere. But John's identity could still be found out, and, she was trying to take precautions for his sake getting him away from cops and get him to Finch. She handed him his little bag that carried his limited personal effects. _

_He took it, "Alright, where's my weapon?" he demanded as they rounded the corner. She chuckled a little._

"_John Doe didn't have a permit," she reminded as she continued to scour the surrounding area, making sure they were safe, before turning to look back at John. "Your gun is property of the NYPD now." She teased him knowing all about his gun fancy. The tiny smile she got in return was cute._

"_Time I got some new hardware," he teased right back. Their banter was easy as it always had been, she was glad the new shift in their relationship hadn't resulted in them losing that. She didn't know if they would figure out a way to be together romantically or not, but, regardless if they did or not she was just glad that they would always have one another no matter what. She turned seeing Finch across the street near a payphone._

"_Looks like your ride is here," she said with a rueful grin, before looking back at him. "Guess we were all worried about you." She hadn't been worried she had been petrified, having his name come up from their super-computer thing, his name given to all the low-lives in New York from HR, and maybe losing him-scared the hell out of her because he had come to mean so much to her. She searched his face as he eyed Finch before he brought his gaze back to her._

"_If my number was up, I'm just glad I was with you." He admitted and her eyes searched his. She could tell he meant it and, she felt the same way. She could hear in the background the sound of the payphone ringing. "No one I rather be with at the end." Joss felt like the oxygen in her throat clogged up. She felt the same way, if she was to die she wanted this man beside her. She wanted to kiss him, she was so enthralled in John that she didn't hear the loud stomping footsteps coming to crash their moment._

"_Your time's up, I told you I'll end you!" Joss turned her head sharply when Simmons voice broke her trance. She watched almost as if it was happening in slow motion, Simmons throwing his threat out, lifting up his gun aiming it on them. She didn't even react, she didn't pull her gun out, she was like frozen, and she watched helplessly as John took a bullet felt his blood spray her, heard his grunt, and then he took another as Simmons fired on him again. But he didn't fall. _

"_No, not today!" it finally hit her that this was really happening and she wasn't going to let this man take someone else who she cared for away from her. She managed to pull her gun out, fired upon him. She nailed Simmons in the shoulder, she watched as he grimaced and his aim went astray and he aimed at her without looking, firing, and she knew that when it ripped into her she would be a dead woman. But no pain came, no rather John reacted stepping in front of her, acting as a shield to her and she felt his body jerk before he fell to the ground. She didn't pay attention to Simmons who slithered away. "John, JOHN!" she cried out as she dropped to her knees beside him. He had taken three bullets; one in the shoulder, one in the side, and one in the chest. Joss lifted his head into her lap, cradling his head in her arms. "You'll be alright, we'll get an ambulance!"_

_Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "D-don't cry," he whispered._

"_Just stay with me, John." She begged._

"_J-Joss, I have t-to tell you something."_

"_You're going to make it, so you can tell me later. Concentrate on breathing."_

"_I-I-I have t-to tell you now," he breathed raggedly. She swallowed a sob as tears flowed down her cheeks at a faster rate._

"_What?" she whispered pressing a hand to one of his wounds._

"_I-I didn't h-have t-the c-confidence to t-tell you before, but I-I need you t-to know before…." He paused as if gathering strength. "I-I-I love y-you."_

"_John, don't do this to me, don't you dare tell me how you feel about me and then leave me! Give me a chance, please, don't go!" she sobbed as she watched as his eyes slowly closed, his shallow breathing faded, and she knew she lost him. "Wake up!" she cried as a strangled sound escaped her. She felt for a pulse, when she found none she laid him on the ground to perform CPR. "Please wake up, please you can't do this to me! You can't die, I love you too, please….please, John…." She shouted at him as she did chest compressions, leaning down, and trying to breathe life back into him. "No, no, no, no, get away from me Finch!" she cried as she felt him touch her shoulder. "He needs help!"_

"_Jocelyn, he's gone." Finch's voice cracked._

"_No, he's not, he needs me." She shrugged him off to do more chest compressions. "I can save him." She whipped her arm free of him, when Finch attempted to grab her again. She continued to do chest compressions, breathe into John's mouth, willing him to breathe for her. When the ambulance finally arrived, officers upon officers had already filed out from the precinct. "He was shot three times, he protected me from Simmons." She forced out as officers questioned her, her eyes on John's prone body. She watched as the paramedics tried to shock John's heart into beating but nothing, they tried two more times, when they stopped. When they stepped back she bypassed the officers. "What are you doing? He needs you." She pointed at John._

"_I'm sorry detective, I'm really sorry, but he's gone." The female paramedic tried to be subtle._

"_No, no…he's not. He'll be fine if you people stop giving up on him! Why does everyone give up on him?" she demanded as she dropped to her knees beside him, not feeling the pavement hitting her kneecaps unforgivingly. "John, it's okay I'm here I will never give up on you." She stated as she tried to do CPR again._

"_Carter, he's gone." She knew that voice but didn't care who was speaking to her._

"_No, leave me alone! I can save him, I have to save him." She tried to control the grief threatening to swallow her whole, tried to shake the hands on her trying to stop her from saving John. "Get away from me!" she let out a strangled sob as she was bodily lifted from John, by none other than Fusco. "Let me go, Fusco, John needs me." She punched his forearms hard trying to get his grip to relax. But with his stupid cast in the way it didn't amount to much._

"_John's gone, Carter!"_

"_No, no, no, stop it, let me go," she cried out as she watched other detectives stand around John's prone body before laying a sheet on him. "SAVE HIM!" she yelled as Fusco carried her to the ambulance._

_Fusco grabbed her cheeks after forcing her onto the gurney. "Hey, look at me, Carter." Her eyes lifted, tears making his face blurry._

"_Don't say it, just don't say it." She plead, not really sure what she was pleading him for._

"_Carter, I know you're hurting right now, but John is gone."_

"_He stepped in front of me, he can't….he told me he loved me, Fusco, he told me he loved me." She whispered as she choked on a sob, and she lost control on her emotions. She fell into Fusco's strong chest, felt him wrap his arms around her, and her body heaved as she sobbed until she went limp._

* * *

_July 29__th __2014_

"_You need to get laid," Joss shifted her dark gaze off their suspicious number whom they were tailing and was sitting on a stakeout with Shaw, onto the small operative who was a friend. Maybe friend was pushing it, she decided. "I thought I had it bad with being a stupid department store worker, but you're worse off than I am." Her friends all had to go undercover, due to this other machine that Finch hadn't really wanted to tell her anything about, and she was worried about them._

"_Excuse me?"_

"_Oh come on Carter, it's been over a year since Beecher bit the big one. It's been eight months since you took down HR, Quinn, and Simmons. You are grouchy all the time."_

"_I am NOT grouchy because I need to get some." She snapped. She was grouchy because eight months ago she lost John and she wasn't ready to deal with moving on from him. Maybe she never would, John wasn't just any man, he wasn't Beecher who she merely cared for and respected. No, John was a man she loved mind, body, and soul and missed with every fiber in her being. Her heart had been buried right along with John in that unmarked grave._

"_Are you sure? I'm just saying when I'm in need of sexual relief I get sort of like you." Shaw sounded sure, but, she was so far off base it was pathetic. Did she enjoy sex, yes, she was any typical hot blooded woman, but was she grouchy about not having any….no!_

"_I'm not even dignifying you with a response." Joss sniffed as she settled the binoculars back up to her eyes. "Besides it's not like I can find a man I'm attracted to since all my nights are always spent with you, Harold, and Fusco. And sorry to break it to you Sam, but you're not my type." Joss said which made Shaw laugh loudly. Joss tried hard to not let the laugh make her want to join in, because Shaw rarely laughed, hell she rarely allowed a smile on her face._

"_No, you're just hung up on a dead man." Shaw said casually and Joss stiffened. "John is dead, Carter, you need to deal with it."_

"_Okay we can talk about anything you want, but not John. Got it?!" She snapped with anger flaring up as she pinned her friend with a hard look once more. _

"_Still a touchy subject I see."_

"_I'm warning you, drop it or I walk." And the small operative held up her hands in surrender. Shaw shifted her gaze back onto their number, silently wondering if Carter's adamant refusal to even think of John had anything to do with the unspoken feelings the two had between them before Reese died protecting her. He took a lethal bullet in the chest when he stepped in front of her acting quite literally as a human shield to her when Simmons popped out of nowhere, firing on them repeatedly. John was weaponless, both had no bulletproof vests on, which was why John hopped in front of Carter to protect her. _

_Shaw had arrived too late, having gotten a tip from a ringing payphone ten minutes prior with the simplest instruction; save asset, and she failed. She called Finch but he must have left his cell in the car, because when she arrived, Finch was standing in the middle of the street appearing shell shocked. Simmons slithered off and she had run off after him after her initial shock of seeing John lying on the ground motionless wore off. She still could remember John hugged to Carter's chest while the woman sobbed over his prone body. It took Fusco to lift her bodily away from John's body, Carter wasn't the same since._

"_Shit!" Shaw snapped as she watched their number running from the closed pawn shop with about ten men with semi-automatic weapons following behind. They exited Carter's car, "Lionel, we need backup."_

"_I'm on my way." He said over the earwigs._

_Joss and Shaw ran in pursuit of their number, what did this guy do to piss off so many people? Shaw pointed her to go around using an alleyway, while she ran into the same building as their number did along with the men chasing him, however never once taking her weapon out. Shaw had to pretend to be just a regular citizen, which meant saving numbers was a bit harder to do, but, they were still trying. They just needed to make sure Shaw's cover wasn't blown, which was quite possibly why Shaw wanted her to remain in the alleyway to make sure their number didn't escape off with the use of the window. _

_Joss ran while drawing her gun, running quickly down to the alleyway making a quick left. Her hair flew in the wind, her breathing rapid as she ran as quickly as she could. She slowed to a stop when two men appeared in front of her with their guns drawn on her, before a third man appeared behind them._

"_You're getting in the way of our plans, detective." An elder man with lots of wrinkles on his face spoke up. He looked like the ringleader because his hands were in the pockets of his suit blazer, the two men with their guns drawn on her standing in front of him. She turned to look behind her, seeing two more men slowly approaching her from behind._

"_Plans what plans?" Joss demanded._

"_Plans that don't concern you, you should have refrained from getting involved in our affairs. Kill her, make it look like a mugging gone wrong." He said before he turned around and began casually walking away. Joss just eyed the men in front of her, and oddly she didn't feel an ounce of fear, almost welcoming the thought of seeing John again but she fought the notion. She had a son to fight to live for and she was going to fight to see her boy tomorrow morning._

_John moved lightning fast, having used the trees as aide in hiding. He snuck up on the two men casually making their way down the alleyway to kill Joss, seeing that she was fighting two men already with these two approaching. He tapped them on the shoulder. "Excuse me, I'm a bit lost, and in need of some directions." he whispered. _

_They turned and he smashed his fist into the one's face, before he snapped the neck of the other man who promptly fell to the ground limply. His eyes skimmed over to Joss who was fighting the two men in front of her, and was losing. She was being double teamed, she was punched, and he heard her cry out. She kicked the approaching man in the shin, desperately fighting, and John moved quicker. The man that he first punched recovered and fired his weapon straight into his chest at point blank range, and John merely flinched before he grabbed the gun from his hand easily. _

"_What the hell are you?" the man wondered out loud before John turned the gun onto him, shooting him in the chest. The man cried out falling to the ground._

"_No one that matters," John murmured as he stepped over the limp bodies. He saw Joss who was on the ground, being kicked, not moving as the men leveled their guns onto the back of her head. John growled as he stormed his way over to where she laid. "Don't you touch her!" both men's eyes flew from the unconscious woman they were beating up and going to kill, to him. _

_John fired the semi-automatic handgun he stole and he wasn't aiming for kneecaps. He shot one in the forehead, who fell to the ground limply after spraying blood all over his partner. The other man didn't even have time to react before John was firing on him, nailing him in the neck, and the gurgle the man made was a sickening sound as he dropped to the ground, he was flailing and gasping until blissful silence followed. John placed the gun he stole at the back of his pants. _

"_Joss, my love, are you alright?" he whispered as he touched his fingers to her neck searching for a pulse and felt relieved when he felt one. She was bleeding, injured, and already bruising up. He inhaled the air, the intoxicating aroma of all the blood filling his nostrils, and he shook his head immediately fighting the monster in him that wanted to stay. "Up-see daisy." He whispered as he slid his arms around her, picking her up as if she weighed nothing at all, and carried her with him into the shadows._

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AN: I imagine that the missing scene after the real ending of 3x09 was very much similar with John rather than Joss. I do not see him leaving her side without being hefted and hauled away from her. So I channeled that into this fic. If you are curious as to why I did not write it where Joss was dead, it's mainly because of the bad guy I made in this rather than anything else. Plus any excuse to have her not be dead in any way is the way I'll go. You'll see the lengths I have gone for my therapy over what the show has done in sometime November *cough I rewrote season 3 cough* :D But here is the teaser for the next chapter:

**"How could you do that to me, to Harold, and to your purpose? Shaw could have used some help and you just didn't come back!" Joss blurted out question after question, not taking a breath.**

Interrogator Joss makes her appearance :D And answers about what's going on will be given in chapter 3, this chapter was mainly to explain what happened to John and what happened to Joss. I'm going to try to get chapter 3 posted tomorrow. Thanks for reading XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX!


	3. Chapter 3

July 30th 2014 Present day….

John's eyes widened with shock as Joss's body went limp. He moved quickly to her worried she just died or something, as her body nearly toppled off the bed and onto the floor. He was careful sunlight didn't touch him before he smiled when he felt a steady heart rate, a racing pulse, and her stomach rose and fell under his sweatshirt. She had fainted, which made him irrationally happy. He couldn't wait until she awakened so he could tease her for fainting at the sight of him. He settled her against the pillows once more, gentle to make sure he did not bring her unnecessary pain from her injuries she sustained in her beating she took.

The monster in him, growled, thinking he almost lost her. He shook as he let Joss go, worried that if he touched her for too long, she would be tainted by him. He took several steps back from the dark beauty, standing stoically against the doorframe of the bathroom, and waited for her to reawaken. It took about five minutes before her eyelashes fluttered, her dark depths searching the room once more, and she actually whimpered when her eyes found him. "Joss, you're going to give me a big head if you faint at the sight of me again." He teased, which didn't actually earn him a smile or anything. She still was looking at him like she was seeing a ghost.

"Oh god, I should check myself into an institution. First I'm talking to a blonde woman that thinks she can read my mind, and not I'm seeing a dead man. I think I had head trauma or something."

"You're not crazy, Joss, so you don't need to be institutionalized." He reprimanded and she snorted.

"Delusions always say they're not delusions!"

"I'm not a delusion, Joss."

"A ghost? Great I'm asking my delusion if he's a ghost, where's the funny farm?" Joss snapped looking around the man that was oddly solid for a figment of her imagination.

"Will you stop, I'm not a ghost or a delusion!" she blinked when John sounded irritated with her.

"Uh-huh, well _John_ you died in my arms….so this can't be happening. You have to be some sort of delusion." She reasoned. "Or maybe, I'm under the influence of drugs, was I captured by someone and I'm seeing you when you're not here? Or you're a dream….and I'm on my deathbed. Oh god, are you here to lead me to the light?" She demanded and he couldn't help himself. Joss was just so funny right now, he laughed.

"I can assure you, Joss, I wouldn't be allowed in heaven."

"You are always hard on yourself, even as a figment of my imagination." She sighed. "Okay, so what the hell are you if you're not a dream, a hallucination from a drug, and not someone to lead me to the light?"

But before he could answer, there was muffled laughter coming from the hallway. He glared when he looked past Margaret who set up shop, leaning against the wall near the doorway, and was giggling at them to where Elizabeth was standing. She was a tall brunette who was cupping her hands over her mouth desperately trying to not laugh her ass off, as she stood in the threshold of the bedroom. Joss heard the laughter too judging by the sharp way her head turned to the doorway herself. "Who the hell are you?" she demanded.

"She's so funny and cute thinking you're a figment of her imagination, Johnny." Elizabeth giggled before her expression sobered up. "How are you feeling, Joss?" she asked with real concern.

"Who the hell are you and how do you know me?" she demanded. God, did he miss that trademark mouth of hers. Straight to the point, direct, and oh so lovely; he heard a giggle escape Liz before she covered it up, and he shot her a glare.

"I'm Elizabeth you can call me Liz, you already met my little sister, Margaret." She motioned to the pretty blonde. "I'm the older and wiser sister." She said with a wink.

Margaret snorted. "Older yes, wiser….not really." And Elizabeth swatted her playfully before dragging her gaze off her sister and back onto Joss. Elizabeth and Margaret were quite the handful, but, he had to admit if it wasn't for them he wouldn't be here.

"Well, Johnny here went half-cocked when he realized you were in danger, all his covert stalking of you worked, since he was there to save you from a brutal beating and death." John shifted uncomfortably when Joss's eyes snapped to him, before falling back on the women. "We have heard so much about you from Johnny, so it's a pleasure to finally meet you Joss." Elizabeth grinned.

"Johnny?" Joss cocked a brow, John shrugged. He didn't care for the nickname but neither Mags nor Liz would stop calling him it.

"Johnny is like a little brother we always wanted and now get to torture." Margaret grinned. Joss shifted her gaze from the woman that introduced herself as Margaret to the other woman named Elizabeth. Both women looked younger than John by about ten to fifteen years.

"I'll have you know I put Johnny here to shame! He's a mere baby compared to me!" Elizabeth said indignant as if she could read her mind just like her weird sister. "I _can_ hear your thoughts, let me guess John hasn't told you squat about us or himself." Elizabeth turned to look at him. He shrugged. It wasn't like he could he just got out of the shower. "Uh huh, John, you can speak and get dressed at the same time!"

"Stop reading my mind." He snapped walking to the dresser, pulling out his boxer-briefs, jeans, and a t-shirt.

"Oh good, so I'm not the only one." Joss said feeling a little better that John's mind was easily readable by the sisters from hell. The women laughed. She watched sadly as John carried his clothing to the small bathroom, clearly wanting privacy. She hadn't even gotten a chance to appreciate the view because her focus had been on the fact that John was alive, when she distinctly remembered the night he died. Pain rocketed up her spine, she swallowed hard as he entered the bathroom softly closing the door, and she panicked that he wouldn't come back out.

"He will," she blinked when she felt a soft touch on her shoulder, she looked up seeing the two women were standing near her. "He's been through a lot and so have you, you both are strong, and John needs some reminding, but once this is all over you two can finally be together."

"What happened? How is this even possible?"

"All in due time, Joss, all in due time, let John change and mentally prepare for the conversation you two are about to have. Trust me it's long, and Liz and I will fill in the blanks explaining things that John is fuzzy on." Mags offered with another affectionate squeeze to her shoulder. "How about some breakfast, you must be starving after getting nearly beaten to death?"

"I'm a bit hungry." She admitted.

"Well I'll get you some food and aspirin for those pesky aches and pains." Liz offered as she breezed out of the bedroom without another word. The bathroom door opened and John appeared, she released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She knew that Margaret and Elizabeth said he would come out, but she didn't know them so she didn't know if their word could be trusted, and she was glad to see they hadn't lied.

John looked different in casual attire, she liked it. His jeans molded to him, his long legs so skinny, and the t-shirt looked so soft. But he looked so tired, she noted. He also looked too thin, too pale, and she was worried about him. "So, what's going on?" she asked. "How come you faked your death? How come you didn't come back to me and Harold?" she demanded and as more questions popped out of her mouth the angrier she became. "How could you do that to me, to Harold, and to your purpose? Shaw could have used some help and you just didn't come back!" Joss blurted out question after question, not taking a breath. She suffered this entire time, she figured she was due some answers, then she would kick his ass for doing this to her, and then kiss the stuffing out of him grateful he was safe!

"I didn't fake my death, Joss."

"Yes you did, since you are obviously alive!" Joss countered as she flung back the comforter, forcing her aching body up, and reached out to touch him where his heart was. Her other hand touched his arm that felt cold to the touch but his heart steadily beat under her hand. Joss watched as he trembled upon her touch, his eyes snapped shut, and he leaned into her.

"How about I tell you who we are," Margaret piped up gently, ceasing the moment, because John stepped back and she sighed as she sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.

"Alright, go ahead." Joss was willing to swallow her anger to hear what happened from Mags, and then get answers from John. He seemed to be emotionally fragile right now, something was definitely wrong with him, he wasn't his typical self.

"My sister and I are Dark Angels." Margaret grinned before it slid from her face as Joss just stared at her blankly. "Okay clearly you never heard of us, and frankly I'm a little hurt by that Joss."

"Am I supposed to have?"

"Nah, I was just teasing." Margaret waved her off with a laugh. "None of you mortals ever hear of us, we fly under the radar and deal with the things that go bump in the night. My sister and I are very proud to be Dark Angels."

"So you're telling me you are a Dark Angel which is; what, the supernatural version of the Army?" Joss asked as she arched a brow, and Margaret burst out into a fit of giggles.

"Your lady love is hilarious with a capital H, Johnny, I swear. I never thought of an analogy like that before." She continued to laugh happily. "But yeah that's one way of thinking of it, except for the fact that not just anyone can sign up for this particular 'job'."

"How did you and Liz become one?"

"We died, of course, a very long time ago."

"So you're dead." Joss said.

Margaret drew in a big dramatic breath. "So close but no, was dead….not dead anymore because Dark Angels are very much alive. Some of us die in missions, but just like the Army we serve with honor and more than willing to die for our cause which is namely protecting the innocent."

"I'm so confused," Joss whispered as a headache formed. "So you're saying you died but you're not dead." Joss said.

"Yes,"

"Okay are you sure I'm not at an institution somewhere, because you're nuts." Joss pointed out.

"You are reacting just like Johnny did." Margaret assured her and Joss looked at John who shrugged.

"It gets easier to understand as they continue, Mags likes to be mysterious and make you think she's insane." John offered. "Trust me, I did."

"That I do," Mags agreed. "I love it when I get the spaced out look, the thoughts that run through your heads' I always enjoy a good laugh."

"How can you read minds?" Joss wondered.

"It comes with the territory of becoming a Dark Angel, we can't read everyone's minds but the majority of people we can. Usually we can't read minds of other Dark Angels, demons, or certain angels either."

"Okay….so skip ahead tell me what the hell is going on so I can try to understand this. So far I think you belong in an institution and John needs to tell me why he faked his death."

"Right, right, right, well Liz and I died in 1862 trying to help slaves during the Civil War." Joss's mouth dropped open. "Told ya, Johnny is like the little brother we always wanted. Well, anyways Darius gave us a choice; become a Dark Angel protector of innocent against demons, or we move on up to heaven. Both Lizzie and I chose to become a Dark Angel to fight the good fight, we were _reborn_ as Dark Angels which means we are very much alive...we just don't age."

"Darius?"

"Lives on the ghostly plane, he offers you the gig." Margaret giggled with a flick of her hand as if he wasn't that important to her story. Joss blinked realizing she was starting to believe in this extraordinary tale which was beyond belief. But to be fair, she never ruled out that there were supernatural happenings, she always believed that there was more to the world than met the eye. She just didn't quite realize the amount of supernatural happenings that required a supernatural army of do-gooders.

Joss eyed John, wondering if he was offered this 'gig'. "Are you a Dark Angel, were you given that choice?"

"No, they wouldn't want me." John said quietly.

Joss opened her mouth to argue that he was the exact kind of person that these 'Dark Angels' would want but the blonde woman beat her to it. "Wait….that's not true, John. Zylphia told you that's not true!" Joss's eyes widened a bit as Margaret for the first time sounded angry and it was directed at John.

"Who is this Zylphia?" Joss asked.

"It's Zil-fee-ah, and she's basically who we report too, she is blind, and been like a mother to all of us Dark Angels. Johnny was supposed to become one of us but the problem was he never reached the ghostly plane because of you." Mags said bringing her gaze back onto her.

"Me?" Joss questioned her sanity because she was actually buying into this load of crap.

"It's not fake, Joss you need to hear me when I say that this is the truth. You need to believe because Johnny here is in a lot of danger." Mags stated just as Liz entered with her breakfast, aspirin, and a cup of coffee. She licked her lips as she eyed the coffee. Liz placed the tray over her legs and she immediately grabbed the coffee mug taking a sip. She sighed happily. Now that she had her coffee maybe this could all make some sort of sense.

"Don't put her in that position Mags!" Joss turned to look at John realizing it was he who was now angry. "She's been through enough."

"What danger, John, just tell me everything and eventually it will all make sense I hope?" She ordered not liking that he was trying to wiggle out of telling her anything. She bit into a piece of bacon.

"Johnny died protecting you, when his spirit was to reach the ghostly plane Darius was going to ask him to become a Dark Angel. The problem was his spirit never reached the ghostly plane because his spirit stayed back to try to help you." Liz explained.

"His spirit stayed with me?" She asked after she swallowed more bacon.

"Yeah, I guess you weren't doing well when he died, and he couldn't leave your side he didn't want you to be alone." Joss's eyes slid to John, he appeared to have no recollection of what they were saying because he was just listening to them speak too. Her eyes strayed back to Liz. "Zylphia told us that Johnny would be joining us in a bit once he was ready to part from your side, but, Cassandra got a hold of him before his spirit reached the ghostly plane."

"So, John's dead?" she whispered as tears gathered in her eyes, her appetite gone. She flung the useless tray beside her on the bed.

"No, he's not dead…well technically he did die, but he's alive and breathing now isn't he? Please let me finish, Joss, then ask your questions." Liz said gently. "John came across Cassandra's radar unfortunately for him because he's good looking, and a former soldier. Cassandra collects soldiers that are good looking and are good at what they do. She uses them for their bodies, makes them do her bidding, so she can keep her lifestyle she lives."

"Who is Cassandra?"

"A vampire, she turned Johnny before we could stop her, which sent his spirit back into his body as he was awakened." Liz spoke quietly. "Johnny is in a bit of a pickle, Joss." Joss eyed him, his eyes were red-rimmed, he looked frail and thin, and not at all the usual badass in a suit. "You see normally a man turned by Cassandra would be a soulless demon, killing at her whim, and doing her bidding."

"John isn't." she refused to believe that. John was better than that!

"The curse is in him but dormant, because he hasn't bitten anyone, drained anyone of their blood the curse hasn't been able to spread through him overtaking John. The moment he feeds off of someone draining them of their blood, we lose him." Liz said solemnly. All eyes on John, Joss could feel the resolve in the room that no one was going to let that happen, including her. She wasn't going to lose John all over again, not with the possibility of getting him back. This was her second chance, she had a second chance of having John in her life, and she was going to fight for it with every last ounce of strength she had.

Liz continued after a moment. "Cassandra turned him after she dug him up from the grave your friend buried him in, and had a frightened ten year old girl there waiting for him to feed off of, to kill her as he drank her blood, and which would effectively make him lose his humanity and soul in the process." Joss eyes flew to John's while Liz spoke, seeing the truth there. What Liz said was true. "John was groggy just having been awakened, he was so weak, and she was able to control him due to him being that weak. His heart had just begun to pump again, blood just moving through veins again, and we were so scared we weren't going to get there in time to save him. But Mags and I got to him we fought Cassandra off as best as we could, grabbed John and the child, and took them. We took the girl home and brought John here for safety. This small apartment might not look like much, but, it has been supernaturally blessed so no demon can come in, which protects John from Cassandra showing up because the more space between him and Cassandra the better off he is." John shook as Liz spoke before he crossed his arms across his chest as if that would stop him from trembling. Margaret rubbed his arm in a comforting gesture.

"Why?"

"Closer John is to Cassandra the greater the pull she has on him, because of bringing him back to life, and she'll use that to her advantage."

"She can control me while I'm asleep," John admitted. And that explained his rundown appearance, the red rims around his eyes, and the frail/thin look to him. He was physically and emotionally exhausted.

"How do we save him?" she asked while keeping eyes on John.

"Being that John hasn't lost his humanity or soul, hasn't fed off of anyone the curse hasn't overtaken him, saving him comes down to slaying Cassandra and the curse is broken."

"Will John die if that happens?" she demanded this time taking her eyes off of John. "Since he was technically dead to begin with?" Joss couldn't believe she was even having this conversation but she was.

"No he won't die, Cassandra brought him back to life, and his heart beats just as yours, mine, and Liz's does. He'll just be regular ole' John again, no super human strength, no desperate need to drink blood, no aversion to sunlight unless of course he had that previously." Joss couldn't even tell Margaret how happy that made her, having HER John back. They had a lot to talk about like while he was struggling to talk to her before he died in her arms that he told her he loved her, like this bit of info that he had been stalking her, and about what happened between now and then. She was angry he didn't come to her sooner, but, for now she was going to let go of all those questions because she didn't want to fight. Those questions could be asked and get answered when John was turned back into a pumpkin after his chariot ride!

* * *

AN: Soooooooo, John is half-vampire lol, not full on vampire yet because he hasn't fed off of anyone! I had a lot of fun taking the vintage vampire stories and a lot of the myths I have heard and tweaking them and turning them upside down to suit my wish for my story. And making 'Dark Angels' aka the supernatural army :D was fun too. I wanted to have fun characters that have been struggling to keep John alive. I tried to fit all the answers into this chapter, though there are more coming up in the next chapter. Lots of questions I'm sure you guys have had, I hope some of them were answered so far. More is on your way! But here's the teaser:

**"But Joss every-time he thought of going to you to see you, he'd panic, fearing that the monster in him would hurt you. So he would follow you around, watching from afar, and for only minutes because he couldn't risk Cassandra getting the drop on him. Liz or I would accompany him, just so he could see you."**

Lots of stuff next chapter, Fusco learning who saved Carter, Joss gets more answers, and something happens with John. I'm not sure if I will be able to post tomorrow or not, it all depends on how busy I am tomorrow. If not tomorrow then most definitely Friday because Thursday is my busiest day. But thanks for reading everyone!


	4. Chapter 4

"So where the hell is Carter?" Shaw demanded as she met up with her friend, Harold Whistler, on a park bench during her lunch hour.

"I'm not sure, Ms. Gray," Finch spoke, using Shaw's new last name. "Detective Fusco is searching for her high and low, a man-hunt has ensued, but no word as of yet on her whereabouts," he said quietly as they sat together. It gave her a chance to pet and see Bear, who she missed mightily. "How's Mr. Hawkins?"

"Alive and well; I clipped every last one of the men after him in the kneecaps, keeping out of Samaritan's line of view and called Fusco to throw them into the pokey." Shaw sounded pleased with herself. "My problem came when I couldn't find Carter. I went to where she had gone to and found 4 dead men," Shaw whispered quietly. "One had his neck snapped in two, another shot in the chest, one shot in the head, the other in the neck; and no Carter."

They stood up from the park bench, companionably walking towards the exit. "I have no resources to get into the security feed to acquire the information into who was seen going into the alleyway, not with Samaritan online," Finch whispered as they exited the park each walking to their cars. "Detective Carter's disappearance is quite literally in the hands of the NYPD."

* * *

Fusco glared at Cocoa Puffs as she entered. "No, just no, Fruit Loops, I'm dealing with a missing partner. I don't have time to worry about whatever you need from me," he snapped as he continued to walk into the bull-pen. She followed.

"I'm here for that very reason, and it's not nice to yell at your CI," she informed him as they bypassed several officers. Two of them nearly collided with the wall as they watched Root walk with Fusco. They just had no idea she wasn't a normal woman, no, instead she was a LUNATIC!

"You have a lead on Carter? Well give it to me."

"It's not necessarily a lead, Lionel."

"Then why are you here wasting my time?" he snapped, once more irritable with her. "Show yourself out!" He didn't have time to play footsie with Cocoa Puffs, he had to find Carter. The longer she remained missing, the more likely that when he did find her, she wouldn't be alive.

"I have information that is beneficial to you, Lionel," she spoke as she sat down at a chair beside his desk. "It's about Joss."

"So you do have a lead?"

"Not a lead, Lionel, pay attention," She tsked while he grew more fed up, he wanted to smother her. "The four men that are dead are Decima workers."

"The people you are trying to lay low from?"

"The same," she agreed. "Joss was cornered by them and was going to be killed."

"Why? She had nothing to do with whatever reason they want you guys dead."

"She stepped on some toes when she arrested Joaquin Beniot; a Decima worker and continued to investigate him after his case was pulled from her. Decima had your captain pull her from the case because a higher pay-grade was working it, which is only somewhat the truth. The ISA was looking into it, but not for the reasons your captain and Carter thought. They were looking into it, trying to find a way to sweep it under a rug; but if your detective friend found out anything that could jeopardize what they're protecting."

"Let me guess, they think she did?"

"No, but Greer wanted her eradicated just the same, just in case."

"Well, what is Carter's survival chances since you guys all hit the deck thanks to this group?!" he demanded, not liking the odds. The walking dictionary, Cocoa Puffs, and the trigger-happy psycho all but disappeared thanks to Decima.

"Her chances of survival are split 50/50, Lionel; it all depends on if Greer views her as a continual problem, if so, her chances become slim to none. When you get your detective friend back I suggest for her safety you tell her to quit now while she can, because there is no way anyone can save her next time."

"That is if I can get her back," he sighed. "The best person on this case would be Carter herself."

"Have a little faith in yourself, Lionel, you're not _that_ bad at your job," Root said as she stood up.

"Is that your way of a compliment? Remind me to never ask you 'how do I look?'" he sneered. She shrugged, giving him a smile before she walked towards the exit without another word.

Fusco sighed as he slouched into his chair, plopping the disc that held the security footage from the buildings that surrounded that alleyway, and waited for it to upload onto his computer. When the footage was ready, he clicked 'PLAY' and watched. He blinked his eyes, stared, and then rewound the footage, hitting 'PLAY' once more. He grabbed the desk-phone immediately calling Einstein's work extension at the University. When he got the standard greeting from his voicemail about his office hours, Fusco rolled his eyes, and waited for the beep. "Look, glasses I know you're teaching a class right now, but when you get into your little professor's office and hear this you call me back ASAP! I have something interesting you need to see!" he said and slammed the phone onto its hook, and he rubbed at his eyes, and hit 'PLAY' all over again to see if his eyes weren't deceiving him.

* * *

Joss had finished the breakfast Liz prepared for her quietly and alone. Her and John had skated around the big questions that they both wanted to ask. She wanted to ask everything that was gnawing on her, while she assumed John wanted to know what was happening with her, Finch, and the rest of them. But neither had ventured to even attempt to ask anything so huge yet, she was still processing what she had already been told as it was. Although, to be fair, they didn't talk about his predicament either. John didn't seem capable of talking about it, whenever they brought up what happened to him, he would quiver or shake as if suppressing something that was taking everything inside him to suppress and it worried her. Not for her sake but his. John was a strong man but even the strongest men would eventually break.

If everything they said was true, which she was slowly but surely warming up too; then John was in deep trouble. This Cassandra woman wouldn't stop until she had John in her grips, becoming something unrecognizable, and she wasn't going to let that happen anymore than Margaret or Elizabeth would. That thought dragged up the ugly surge of jealousy she felt when she saw how close John seemed to be with them. Mags and Liz both loved John nearly as much as she did, while that wasn't what drew her jealousy, it was the way John responded to it. John allowed them to give him a comforting touch, while he took several steps away from her, like she was some pariah or something. She wanted to throw her arms around him, tell him she loved him, and kiss the stuffing out of him. But she had a feeling it wouldn't be welcome.

John, Mags, and Liz were out of the room, having left about a half-hour ago to let her rest and relax; but she couldn't, not with her thoughts bombarding her. Maybe John's feelings had changed. Maybe when he told her he loved her while he was dying wasn't true, maybe he didn't realize what he was saying because he was delirious from pain from being shot three times. And that possibility hurt.

She heard a snort and she blinked when she saw Margaret standing in the doorway. "Really? That's the reason you think he's sticking as far away from you as possible?" She sounded incredulous.

"What other explanation is there?" Joss asked as her shoulders slumped.

"Uh, try like he's afraid to be near you because he's afraid of hurting you."

"He would never hurt me." She scoffed at that explanation. But her eyes searched Margaret's face, seeing nothing but honesty there. It wasn't Margaret's sentiments, it was John's. "He thinks he'll hurt me!?"

"Ding, ding, ding, tell the woman what she won!" Margaret snickered as she moved further into the bedroom. "John loves you so much, and he's afraid that he'll snap and won't be able to control the, as he puts it, 'the monster' inside him from unleashing itself and hurting you," Margaret said with air quotes followed by a quick and swift roll of the eyes. "He doesn't want to be anywhere near you because of that, which is why he kept his distance from you these past eight months. He's been afraid of going near you, near anyone he cares for because if he loses it, and turns into this blood-sucking demon, he doesn't want to hurt the people he cares most about."

"John's not a monster."

"No he's not." Mags agreed quietly, her eyes falling to the doorway before coming back onto her. "But he thinks it. He wanted Lizzie and I to kill him, put him down like he's some sort of beast, before Cassandra can get a hold of him. We told him we aren't in the market of killing innocents, he wasn't too happy with our answer."

"I'm shocked he hasn't tried to kill himself," Joss said honestly.

"He can't."

"Why not?" she asked, not that she wasn't happy with that answer. She was, because she knew John would readily kill himself before harming anyone else, but idle curiosity churned inside her. This whole idea of supernatural creatures fighting a battle of good versus evil was intriguing as it was mind boggling. It made her question everything she ever thought to be real, but she couldn't automatically dismiss it. John was alive and he died in her arms.

"The curse of being bitten by a vampire doesn't work that way, there is no easy explanation as to why, but he can't kill himself. John's best chance of surviving what Cassandra has done is to slay her, before, he feeds."

"What about the other men the ones that have already fed, do they go back like John when we slay Cassandra, do they go back to what they were before?" she asked, hopeful for all those unfortunate souls that weren't as lucky as John was to have these sisters.

"No, unfortunately they die along with her because she sired them, kill the sire, you kill all her vampires. They are demonic now, Joss."

"So if we slay her before John feeds and kills for the first time, he is saved?" She asked needing to hear again that she had a second chance at having John back in her life.

"Yes, because the curse hasn't been able to take effect, he hasn't lost his humanity. Think of it this way, Joss, once John gets the taste of blood, once he takes that first life….a darkness will spread through him, turning him from who he was into something darker, something soulless, demonic. He would become bloodthirsty and nothing anyone can do to change that if he feeds and kills for the first time. John's struggling with the need every second of every day, it's a powerful urge to drink, and he is strong willed which is why we think we can save him."

"So if John was weak minded, you wouldn't be able to save him?"

"Sadly not many people that get turned are able to be saved, usually they feed within the first few minutes of being turned, because that's when they are at their most vulnerable to their sire. John was one of the lucky few, others we saved just like John, but the others could not resist the temptation of feeding and ultimately became demonic. Vampires are tricky, powerful, and it takes a lot out of us Dark Angels to even vanquish one." Mags said as she sat down on the bed near her feet.

"John is the strongest man I know, the bravest too, so if there is anyone we can save it's him." she whispered looking down at her hands. They just had to save him. She felt a touch on her leg, she lifted her gaze.

"You blame yourself for his death."

"I do," she admitted without being shy. John would have been alive had he not stepped in front of the bullet meant for her from Simmons.

"That's why he couldn't rise to the ghostly plane, he couldn't leave you."

"How do you know about that? John looked lost as you guys explained about his spirit remaining with me."

"He would be, he has no recollection of what his spirit did. He was dead, Joss." Mags smiled ruefully at her. "Zylphia told us about it, while she was waiting for him to rise up to Darius and to welcome him into our little family of Dark Angels."

"You love him." Joss said not asking.

"Yes, I love him, and NO, not romantically. As I said, he's like the little brother Lizzie and I always wanted. You were so jealous of our ability to touch him, please don't feel like we are encroaching on your turf, he is most definitely all yours…romantically of course. I'm going to demand rights every now and then to see my little baby brother, we have had him for eight months, and he's a part of the family. Even Zylphia is upset we will be saying goodbye to him eventually."

"I wasn't jealous of you and Liz in that way, I was jealous that you got to comfort him while he won't let me anywhere near him."

"He's just scared of losing you, give him a little time. He's going through a lot," Mags offered and it made her angry. What about her? What about what she went through?

"I've been through a lot myself and I know it's selfish of me to want to hug him, to kiss him, and tell him that I love him, but I can't shut that part of myself down. I want to hug him, kiss him, and tell him how much I love him, even knowing that his sole reason for staying at arms-length of me was for my protection. Even as asinine as that is, John would never hurt me, and that's pissing me off. I suffered for months because he was scared of something he would never do, and now I'm so close to him, but can't touch him is literally taking everything in me to take it as slow as he seems to need it to be."

"I can feel and hear your anger, Joss. But as much as I can read your thoughts I can read his just as easily. His thoughts are all over the place, when Liz said that John told us so much about you, she lied. He didn't tell us squat, Lizzie and I read it in his mind. We heard his thoughts about you, much of them are too dirty to even repeat, Johnny has a dirty-boy's mind!" Mags winked at her, making her roll her eyes. "But Joss every-time he thought of going to you to see you, he'd panic, fearing that the monster in him would hurt you. So he would follow you around, watching from afar, and for only minutes because he couldn't risk Cassandra getting the drop on him. Liz or I would accompany him, just so he could see you."

"Why does he fear he'll hurt me?"

"It's probably our fault, we explained things to him, and the amount of desire he feels for you can override his brain. We warned him that if he lost control of himself, he could end up doing the exact thing he doesn't want to."

"You said that to him?!"

"We had to warn him, and you. It is a possibility, if you two get down and dirty between the sheets before Johnny's curse is broken, he can lose himself and lose what he's been fighting against every second for the past eight months. He's growing tired. Cassandra is hiding on us, knowing John can't fight against this forever," Mags said, looking sad.

"Well, how do we slay this bitch? Please tell me I can light her ass on fire for torturing him like this!" Joss snapped and Mags leaned back and let out a loud boisterous laugh.

"God, you are so perfect for him, it's scary. He needs another person to keep him going. But lighting her on fire would work, eventually. But there is the possibility that her other vampires would save her by dousing her out. No, the quicker way to slay the bitch, as you put it, is a wooden stake through the heart. Or if you are the morbid type, we could always chop off her head."

"Sounds like overkill to me, chopping someone's head off." Joss wasn't morbid, but if that would make sure this woman couldn't hurt John again, she'd gladly cut this vampiress' head off.

"Yeah well, no coming back from that, you can't plop your head back on," Mags teased. "A wooden stake is the easiest route however, effective too."

"I never understood that one to be honest."

"It's all in the vampire bylaws," Mags said with a teasing wink. "You'll get used to all this supernatural stuff, you're doing quite well for learning all this today. John tried to get away from us a few times, he looked at us all like we were bonkers, that was until Zylphia talked with him."

"Yeah well, I was there when John died, so you kind of have to get past all the feelings that 'this is crazy' or 'this isn't happening' 'this can't be real' because I watched him die." She inhaled the hoodie she was dressed in, it smelled of him, and she felt like she was walloped in the face because the arousal she felt was so keen it was nearly overwhelming. "Uh, why am I nearly naked besides my underwear and this hoodie?"

"You were beaten, we were checking you for injuries. John offered up a hoodie to keep you warm. He keeps the apartment cold." Joss did feel the frigidness to the apartment on her nose, her legs, and her hands which were all cool from the air.

"Is it because of what happened to him?"

"Yeah, but it will be fixed once we get rid of Cassandra," Mags offered in a way of comfort with a soft touch to her hand.

"Where is he?"

"Asleep, he's been up for days. He finally decided to catch some shut eye and Lizzie is watching over him just in case Cassandra tries to control him."

"How can she control him from wherever she is, while asleep and inside this enchanted apartment?"

"Because that's when his mind is susceptible to her. When John's awake his strong mind keeps her out, when he's asleep his subconscious has taken over and for a seasoned vampire like Cassandra getting into his subconscious is a breeze. This enchantment is to protect her from coming in, it doesn't stop her ability to feel John."

"She can feel him because she turned him?"

"Yes, Joss."

"How will you know if she's trying to control him?"

"He'll be in an almost sleep-wake state like he's sleep-walking. Acting out Cassandra wishes and desires for him, mainly she wants him to leave this apartment so she can grab him, but things can get out of hand."

"So she has tried."

"Yes, many times, which is why John is so unwilling to sleep. He doesn't like it when he's not in control of his actions."

"Does he know it is happening?" Joss asked.

"No, not when it's happening, but he does know when he awakens."

"How do you combat it?"

"Wake him up, it's as simple as that, but with Cassandra controlling him it's hard to wake him up. She tells him to remain asleep."

"So how do you wake him up?"

"The old tried and true method, constantly jostling and shaking while shouting at him to get up until his conscious mind takes over, waking him up, and making Cassandra lose hold on him." Mags spoke. Joss merely nodded her head. Everything sounded simple but she knew without a doubt nothing was. John's life since his 'death' due to Simmons was torturous every second of the day, and she thought she suffered because of watching him die in her arms. Nothing she went through these past eight months compared to the agony and anguish he must feel all damn day. She felt like a jerk for getting angry with John for staying away from her, to protect her. It was in John's nature, protect others first, and then think of himself. She couldn't fault him in that, she'd be just like that if their roles had been reversed.

They heard a cry out from Elizabeth and a crash. "Shit, she's trying!" Mags snarled as she flew out of the bedroom. Joss's body screamed in agony as she tried to follow as quickly, but, couldn't. She forced her tired and hurt body to move, watching in sick agony as John flung Margaret away from him like she weighed nothing.

"John, wake up!" Mags shouted. "Wake up!" Lizzie rushed him from the side tackling him in the stomach. He fell into the glass coffee table shattering it into a million pieces. "We have to stop buying him nice things!" Mags growled before shouting at John again to awaken. But it seemed he hadn't gotten the memo because he threw Liz up and off of him, she hit the wall with a hard thud.

"Damn that hurt," she whispered before shaking off the cobwebs. "JOHN WAKE UP CASSANDRA ISN'T BETTER THAN YOU!" Liz yelled at the top of her lungs, while Mags aimed a gun at the man she loved.

"What are you doing?" Joss cried, moving to save John, but Liz grabbed her wrist stopping her, while her sister fired the gun rapidly at John. He took them in the chest, grunting, and tears pooled into Joss's eyes. It was the night Simmons shot John all over again.

"John you're scaring Joss, wake up!" Mags commanded and Joss watched in astonishment as John's bullet wounds were healing before her eyes, the bullets falling to the ground. "Joss ask him to wake up for you, maybe you can get through to him better than us."

"John, please wake up." She begged feeling a sense of déjà vu.

"Shout it, Joss!"

"WAKE UP JOHN, PLEASE I NEED YOU!" she shouted loudly, her eyes on John's closed eyes. Liz released her hand immediately as she rushed John as he went limp.

"I got him," Liz grabbed him around the waist, before pushing him towards the couch as he weakly moaned. "You okay there, Johnny?" Liz asked him while she stood there watching him, and watched as Liz almost maternally rubbed his cheek. "She's not getting our baby brother without a fight."

"I'm okay," he answered. Liz nodded before stepping back and Joss ran to him, ignoring her aches and pains. Tears fell from her eyes, sharp pain filled her foot (she probably stepped in some glass but she didn't care) as a sob escaped her. She rushed him, he'd barely sat up before he let out a soft umpf from when her small body crashed into his and his strong arms wrapped around her. "I'm okay, Joss," he whispered, trying to soothe her and comfort her, she cried harder because she should be soothing and comforting him.

"I can't lose you again, John, I can't…" she said as she sat back and he rubbed her tears away. "I won't." she amended. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him she loved him, to bring up that night he died in her arms, but she couldn't. He looked exhausted, he was shaken, and she didn't want to add any undue stress to him. He was hurting enough right now. Adding to it wasn't something he needed and she would do anything to protect him, even if it meant keeping her mouth shut on something she desperately needed to talk about. "So when can we take this bitch down?" she snarled looking around the room gaining a collective grin from the girls and a ghost of one from John. 

* * *

AN: Cassandra has picked the wrong soldier to go after because this one has a woman that is stubborn as hell and isn't scared of her fanged ass!

Well since I can't find a good enough teaser that I wanted for the next chapter I decided to post chapter 5 too lol. So it's another two for one special. Besides I think chapters 4 and 5 go together as well. The team sees John again and meets Mags and Liz :D It's a fun chapter!

Thank you for reading this so far everyone! I'm glad you guys are down for something a little different.


	5. Chapter 5

"It can't be..."

"It is, Einstein," Fusco assured him as they sat in a booth at a small diner that hadn't invested in cameras yet. It was late in the evening, still no call from Carter, but at least he knew she was alive. But what was shocking wasn't that Carter had been rescued, it was the rescuer that was shocking, not just to him or Einstein, but Cocoa Puffs and Ms. Sunshine 2.0! In the grainy footage the rescuer was none other than the former bane of his existence….more precisely, the dearly departed former bane of his existence.

"John died, how is this even possible?" Shaw whispered. "I've seen enough dead bodies in my time to know that he was dead, John was deader than a shovel."

"Ms. Sh-Gray, please cease with the unnecessary analogies." Finch barked sharper than he meant to, nearly forgetting to use Shaw's cover name. "It looks like John, but how can we be sure it was him? As Ms. Gray says, John died," Finch asked quietly. "I buried him." He added as renewed anguish over burying his friend filled him.

Eyes expectantly fell onto Root, who shrugged. "Don't look at me, I have no idea how Lurch survived."

"Not even your little sidekick?" Shaw snapped. "If John is alive we need to find him and Carter, they could be in danger, there is no telling if Decima knows that John isn't as dead as they think he is."

"Sam_, she_ doesn't know how he survived any more than we do, _she's_ shocked too."

"So Cocoa Puffs' imaginary friend doesn't even know what the hell is going on, just great!" Fusco sighed. But before anyone could even offer up anything his phone rang. He yanked it out, eyeballing the number, it wasn't recognizable but he answered it anyways. "Fusco,"

"Hey," he breathed a sigh of relief when Carter's voice echoed over the phone.

"Good to hear from ya, hold on…" he stated pulling the phone away, putting it on speakerphone, and placed it on the table. "The gang is all here."

"Hey guys," she greeted.

"You okay, Carter?" Shaw demanded.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Sam."

"We saw the security footage, detective, it gets grainy but your rescuer looks like someone we all know." Finch hedged.

"It's because it is someone we all know." The four at the booth sat stunned. "He's alive, there's a lot to tell, and there is a lot of suspension of belief that needs to happen for you guys to even believe what I have to say. But, John is…alive."

"Where is he?"

"He's pacing the floor like a caged animal while I talk to you. He's worried you guys will want to see him," She said and they heard murmuring in the background before Carter spoke directly to him, sounding exasperated.

"What, the bane of my existence doesn't want to see me? That's new, he never had a problem before being a pain in my ass!" Fusco teased. "He looks the same for a dead guy."

"We need to talk face to face, we have some things to discuss, and some saving to do." They all sat listening to another round of murmuring on the other end and Carter sounding exasperated all over again. They could catch bits and pieces of the conversation, but from the general gist, it sounded like Carter reassuring John that he could handle seeing them. It was odd that the bane of his existence was worried about seeing them. What, wonder-boy thought he would get strangled by hugging or something? "I'll text you the address," She said and, without saying goodbye, she hung up. A few minutes later his phone buzzed with a text, sure enough an address, greeted his eyes.

"Let's go see Mr. Sunshine."

* * *

"Just relax," easy for Joss to say she didn't have to worry about losing control, biting, killing the people he cared about. He paced back and forth throwing her a glare here and there while he did so. He was having a hard time controlling himself around Joss. He felt the ugly beast inside him, wanting to grab her, yank her to his bed, and fuck her senseless. He figured she'd taste delicious as her body would feel just as perfect. Anguish so keen knifed through him. He couldn't hurt her.

"John, relax, you're not going to hurt anyone." Liz said quietly. "We're here with you too, so if you feel out of control, no harm will come to your friends not with us here to kick your ass." She winked at him before she eyed him sadly. "You need to see them."

"I need to protect them. I need to protect Joss." He countered, still pacing back and forth. The floor was cleaned up, he had gently as he could picked the glass from Joss's foot. The red stain of blood tantalizing him, but he ignored the cramping in his stomach. Joss must have figured it out the moment he saw the blood, what was happening to him, because she offered to clean it herself but he wouldn't let her. She got hurt because of him, he would get the glass out of her foot, no matter the cramping he felt.

"I'm a big girl I can and will protect myself. But I don't need too, not from you. You won't hurt me."

"I could." He stopped pacing glaring at her. "You need to go." He pointed to the door.

"Kicking out an injured woman real chivalrous, baby brother, it's no wonder you are still single." Mags sniped, looking at Joss purposely. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm not your brother," he snapped at Margaret, who had the gull to laugh at the statement. "I'm not." He never had a sibling and if this was what he had to endure he was glad he never did. Her laughter grew louder and Liz snorted with sparkling laughter in her giant amber eyes.

"Wow, I'm glad everyone got the joke but me!" Joss snapped crossing her arms across her chest as she sat on the couch. It wasn't fun when you weren't privy to a joke that could be heard through minds.

"He was just thinking how happy he was to be an only child until we adopted him as our baby-baby-BABY brother." He glared at them. "What, you are like 180 years younger than us, you are a baby to us, same with her." Mags motioned at Joss. "See, Jossy doesn't mind being called a baby."

"I take that as a compliment." She said matter of factly, there was no way in hell she wanted to be like 200 years old!

"So why can't you, baby Johnny." Liz teased. "Oh that's because big, bad, Johnny doesn't like being called a babe." She snickered as that earned her a tight scowl. "Oh, never mind he doesn't mind that word but coming from someone else then us." There was a heavy knock and John was relieved that the sisters were distracted. Two older women who viewed themselves as his sisters, picking on him, were getting annoying.

"We _are_ your sisters," Mags corrected as she answered the door. Joss could see Fusco and Finch. "Come on in, Fusco, Harold, Sam, and Hannah." Mags greeted. John laughed inwardly at the odd looks Margaret and Elizabeth were receiving from Fusco and the others, before he sobered up as their eyes landed on him. The fear he was going to hurt them plagued him as he stared at them.

"John," Finch's voice cracked and John felt like a jerk for not going to him sooner, at the very least calling him to tell him he was alive. But he figured they were better off thinking he was dead, he was a dead man walking anyways.

"Harold, long time-no see." He greeted unsure of how the elder man would take to seeing him alive and well, and had not come to seek him out.

"Too long, I assure you." Harold said tears glittering in the elder man's eyes and like that John felt Harold's forgiveness that he did not deserve. Mags awwwwed out loud and was elbowed by Liz as they shut the door.

He pulled his eyes off of Harold to look at Shaw who was storming her way over to him. He figured she was going to hit him for letting her think he was dead, but she didn't. Instead she put her fingertips to his neck checking for a pulse, when she felt one, she leaned her head against his chest where his heart was beating. He trembled hoping that he wouldn't snap and hurt this woman. She took care of Harold and Joss for him when he couldn't, for that he would be forever grateful to this woman. "Okay, you got a pulse and a heartbeat, and both of which you didn't have in November. So what gives, you're too alive for a dead man who was supposed to be eating worms?!" she demanded stepping back.

Harold and Joss exclaimed at her angrily, while everyone else just watched intently. John however just laughed softly. He could always count on Shaw's odd and often time's wry sense of humor. He missed that about her. "Worms aren't that high in nutrients, Shaw." He teased and she snorted as she stepped back some more to allow everyone to sort of get a full on onceover of him.

"Lurch," Root greeted him with a half-smile. "Now you actually look like Lurch." She said giving him a quick perusal, noting the sunken in eyes from exhaustion, the paleness to his skin, and his thinning frame. John noticed the concern etching on her face. He smiled slightly, he didn't know she cared.

"Roo…" he paused when she held up her hand to cease him from calling her-her name. "Hannah," he said hastily. He wanted to know why they were going by assumed names, but, he knew them needing answers from him trumped his need for answers from them. He shifted his eyes on to Fusco. "Hello, Lionel, missed me?"

"Missed you, HA, in your dreams, Mr. Sunshine, but it is good to have you back. The fun-sized Rambo here isn't nearly as fun to mess with."

"Watch who you are calling fun-sized or I can give you a fun-sized ass kicking." Shaw snarked right back.

"See what I mean; tall, dark, and deadly." Fusco snickered before turning his eyesight onto Carter. "You okay?"

"Yeah feels like I got my ass kicked by two giant idiots, but, thanks to John here I'm safe." Joss said with a smile as his eyes slid to her. "You all better sit down there is a lot to talk about, and a lot of surprises coming your way." Their friends just simply nodded their heads.

Lionel moved to him. "Hey, Mr. Sunshine who are the hot women standing off to the side?" he said quietly cupping a hand over his mouth trying to keep it between them. Lionel had no idea that Mags and Liz could read minds so that was completely useless.

"Us hot women are John's older sisters." Mags announced with a sassy grin.

"Great your parents procreated three times to have three trigger-happy former assassins out there?!" Margaret and Elizabeth let out booming laughter at Fusco, while John couldn't resist a smile himself. God it was good to be around these people again. Fusco sat down beside Joss appearing to be disgruntled, while the others took seats as well. Now that all the attention was back on him, apparently waiting for an explanation, he felt ill again. He whirled around, fighting the need to run, feeling the surge of the monster inside him.

"John, relax….you won't hurt anyone here." Liz spoke quietly to him. He felt a gentle touch, seeing Joss there.

"It's going to be alright, these are your friends, our friends. You won't hurt them anymore than you could ever hurt me." Joss assured as if sensing his turmoil without needing to read his mind.

"I can hurt you, them, and I don't want too." John said his eyes straying from her to his friends, seeing them watching him quietly, clearly hearing them but not intruding on their conversation.

"And you won't." his eyes slid back to Joss's as she spoke.

"You have that much faith in me, Joss?"

"Yes." He blinked at the automatic answer Joss gave him. She believed in him so unflappably. He wished he deserved it. He killed four men, the four men that were going to hurt her, if that didn't show the monster he was turning into, nothing did. Before he died due to Simmons even as angry as he would have been he would have shot them in the knees, taken Joss out of that situation, and let them go to prison but he hadn't done that. Joss didn't know about what happened to the men, but soon enough she would, and knowing her sense of right and wrong he would lose her. He loved her so much, he couldn't bear to see the look in her eyes that he was going to see soon enough, but he didn't deserve anything less.

"Now come on, they need answers, and so do you." Joss said as she tugged on his hand. He quietly removed his hand from her touch, the spark of heat that she induced made him want to take her in front of them all. He watched as her face fall, but, he saw determination flicker across her face as she stormed back to the couch, sitting down next to Finch.

"You can't keep pulling away from her touch she's going to kick your ass if you do even if you have super strength." Liz whispered as they stood in front of his friends and Joss, before she turned to address his friends. "How about we start, by introducing ourselves; I'm Elizabeth and this is my sister Margaret. Johnny isn't our brother by blood, but we consider him our baby brother nonetheless." Lizzie patted his cheek affectionately.

Margaret picked up the narration. "Us hot babes are Dark Angels, we protect innocent people, sort of like what you guys do." John noted the way the four of them stiffened. Clearly they didn't appreciate the fact that Mags and Liz knew what they did. But then again they had not revealed that they could read minds yet. Judging by the way Mags was laughing, someone was thinking something that she found entertaining. "I like you Shaw or should I say Ms. Gray?"

"How the hell do you know us? Reese, tell you?"

"Oh calm down, pint size, we don't work for Decima and there is no fear that Samaritan can hear you in here. This place is protected, by an enchantment." Liz waved a hand at Shaw.

"Pint size, I'll show you whose pint sized!"

"She might be tiny but her temper is huge, the things she's picturing she's going to do to you Lizzie is grizzly." Mags snickered. "But what my older and less intuned with words sister is trying to say is you don't have to speak in codes here. This place has been protected from everything for John's safety, so that means no super computer thingy can hear you in here."

"May I ask, Ms. Margaret, how do you know so much about us when we never met you before?" Finch spoke up.

"Johnny gave us the 411 on you guys, though he doesn't know about your recent issues, that I got from you guys as you entered."

"How?" Shaw snapped.

"You know how Shaw, since you are trying to block me from reading your thoughts." Liz said with a slight laugh. "Doesn't work though, so you might want to stop or you'll give yourself a headache."

"What she's reading minds?" Fusco piped up. "Great and here I thought Fruit Loops was the craziest of the bunch, nope, Mr. Sunshine has to shack up with two hot nutjobs."

"Lionel, you're funny!" Lizzie laughed happily, before nudging John a bit. "Go on, talk a bit, John they need to hear this coming from you, we'll fill in the blanks when you don't remember something."

When he stood there unable to figure out how to explain things, Mags gently rubbed his shoulder and nodded to his friends. "I died that night Simmons shot at Carter and me." John blurted out. Liz smacked a hand over her face clearly thinking he botched it already, while his friends stared at him oddly.

"And yet you're here." Fusco pointed out. "So what you're undead….wait, don't tell me you're a zombie?" he sniped.

"Not a zombie," John shook his head.

"And zombies are no fun either. All they want to do is eat brains it's disgusting really." Mags spoke up before giving a thoughtful look. "I wonder how many calories brains actually have?" she murmured, but she shut up when Liz elbowed her quiet.

"Mr. Reese, what's going on?" Finch spoke, he looked at him then to Shaw to Root, and to Fusco. He didn't know how to tell them anything. He knew they wouldn't believe it, he knew they would think he was crazy, but Cassandra was a real threat.

"Okay John is getting a bit tongue-tied so I'm going to tell you everything." Joss stated as she stood up, standing beside him when he worked his throat finding himself faltering for words. She commanded their attention, even standing in his oversized sweatshirt and little else. Joss grabbed his hand and he went to remove it, but she stubbornly held on. He knew he could easily yank free of her grasp, he had super strength since what happened to him, but he didn't. He let himself enjoy the warmth he felt radiating from her touch.

"John died in my arms, he died protecting me and well long story short—supernatural happenings happen all around us, and well a vampire named Cassandra turned John. But thanks to these two sisters," Joss paused again motioning to the sisters. "They brought him back here to save him and protect him. They might be annoying with their mind reading ability but they are good people." John shifted his gaze onto Mags and Liz who were smiling affectionately at Joss, looks like they just adopted another sibling.

"More like sister-in-law," Mags piped up, earning herself a lot of confused looks, and an astonished one from him before he scowled at her realizing it was directed at what he had been thinking.

"Okay, so….John is a vampire?" Shaw spoke slowly. "Where's the fangs?" she snickered. John felt blind fury that she was making fun of this. He flew to Shaw, surprising the small operative, grabbed her wrist and manually yanked her up. He held her to his height, her feet not touching the ground, and she kicked him hard. He grunted but didn't release his grip. He stared into her eyes darkly.

"Do not make fun of this, Shaw."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, John it's okay. It's a lot to take in, Shaw wasn't making fun of your situation she is trying to figure it out and making jokes is her way of dealing with things she doesn't understand." Liz cajoled him.

"You want to see the fangs?" He demanded not even really listening to Liz.

"Johnny, looking at them and feeling them upset you, don't do it to yourself." Liz tried and he shook his head, as he trembled. Not caring about his own anguish of seeing or feeling the fangs protrude out, he didn't appreciate her cracks to Joss about his situation.

He opened his mouth baring them at Shaw who paled immediately. Root, Finch, and Fusco gasped and he dropped Shaw like she scalded him. He whimpered as he felt them still out, willing them to go away, but they wouldn't. He never mastered how to get them to recede, because he fought the urge to let them extend out, he hated them he hated himself. Usually they receded hours later, when he stopped focusing on them, thanks to Mags and Liz. He looked at his friends seeing the frightened looks on their faces, and pain swallowed him whole. He was scaring them, he was right he was a monster, and suddenly he wanted to be alone.

"Get out," he commanded. "You're best off staying away from me, get out." He whirled around.

"Johnny, they don't think you're a monster."

"Yes they do and I don't need to be able to read minds to know it." He hissed. "You have five minutes to get out, including you Joss, or I'll throw you out." He snarled before he stormed to his bedroom slamming the door shut.

* * *

Joss stared at the closed door before turning a hurt look onto her friends, thanks to them she was being thrown out, and she knew John wouldn't hesitate to manually throwing them out. He was stronger than them all, and could easily do so. But before she could even speak her mind at them for upsetting John, Mags spoke up. "Jossy don't worry about it, you and the others won't get thrown out. He's upset about the fangs, he's in terrible pain, plus he's exhausted he needs more sleep, but he won't be resting anytime soon thanks to what Cassandra pulled earlier. He won't let himself."

"What do you mean terrible pain?" she demanded her anger at her friends gone. "Is he alright?"

"He's hungry, Joss, he's starving himself." Liz said quietly.

"Because, he needs to drink blood?" Shaw asked quietly.

"Yes he craves blood, needs it, it's a curse. The curse is like a cancer that spreads like wildfire inside him, stripping away who he once was, he loses his humanity, his soul, and his ability to think for himself."

"Mr. Reese isn't like that though."

"No, he's not, because the curse might be inside him, dormant, but it will take effect and spread once he feeds for the first time. Think of it like an addiction, once he has a taste, he can't stop and it doesn't matter who he hurts to get what he would crave for. If John feeds, there is no way to save him." Liz explained.

"Okay, so how do we save Mr. Sunshine?" Joss shifted her gaze onto Fusco sensing he didn't fully believe this, but was willing to put aside his doubts to save John, and she was happy for that. She wasn't asking them to fully believe she was asking them to help. Her eyes shifted to Root who appeared to be looking at Margaret and Elizabeth thoughtfully.

"We must slay Cassandra the woman that turned him into this."

"I can't hear _her _in here," Root said to no one in particular. "What exactly are Dark Angels? And how do you know this place is a safe haven from Samaritan?"

"We enchanted it to protect John from everything that's demonic, you can't see or hear into this apartment because of that, and that goes for your super-computer nemesis. You don't need to speak in code. And for your first question; Dark Angels protect the innocent from supernatural happenings. Whether the innocent are other supernatural creatures, mortals like you, or innocents like John who are in-between."

"To protect supernatural creatures must mean you are supernatural too?"

"Yes, and yes Root you must not need to ask a million and one questions we are more than willing to help with your slight issue with Samaritan." Liz assured. "But our first priority is saving John. He's fighting every second of everyday; you guys with your fake identities are safe for now. John's not. He's running out of time, which is why Cassandra is lying low, she knows John can't hold out for much longer. It's been eight months, that's the longest anyone has ever withheld from feeding. Until we can find her, we can't slay her, and if we can't slay her we can't break the curse."

The door to the bedroom opened and John exited. He still was looking fierce but Joss noticed weariness replaced his anger, he looked shaken, and he looked so exhausted. "Feeling better, Johnny?" Liz asked as she walked up to him, rubbing his arm. Joss felt another surge of jealousy that he would let her touch him. "You're not going to throw them out, we are going to discuss this like rational adults, and they don't view you as a monster. Stop letting your own feelings about yourself, fall upon others. No one here thinks of you that way, except you, and I _know _since I can read minds!"

"And I'm not going anywhere, you got that!" Joss spoke up, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I got it." He murmured quietly.

"Well to save Reese we need to figure out how to get this vampiress to show her demonic ass," Shaw spoke up. "Best bet is using Reese as bait, which, I'm sure you already know but haven't done so, why?" Shaw wondered as she addressed the sisters. Joss sort of wanted to hear the answer too. It made the most sense, though using John as bait wasn't the best idea to her, but Cassandra would come out for him and only him.

"We tried once before, however we had no idea how many men Cassandra had already turned or how strong Cassandra is. We barely got out of there with John, had Zylphia not enchanted John so Cassandra couldn't touch him we would have lost him that day. Cassandra has at least fifteen male vampires she had sired over the years, all of which are demonic as her, and do her bidding. We can't fight them all off while protecting John from Cassandra, she left immediately once she realized he was enchanted knowing she couldn't touch him." Elizabeth explained.

"Why haven't you asked any other Dark Angel to help save John?" Shaw questioned. Liz shook her head sadly.

"There aren't that many of us, we have no one we can turn to. We have been waiting and hoping John would allow us to call you to help, but we weren't going to do anything to upset John."

Joss stared at the sisters, they had wanted to use John to lure Cassandra out, but hadn't wanted to upset him. Mags turned to look at her. "He's been under enough strain we weren't going to add to it, until he was ready to meet with you guys again then we were going to ask for your assistance, and not a moment before." It was a sweet gesture but John was running out of time. Mags smiled. "We knew he couldn't wait much longer to see you guys." She winked at her and Joss just sighed.

"How can we help fight this Cassandra, we're not super human?" Finch asked thoughtfully.

"True, but, fighting them isn't why you'll be there. It's to draw focus from Cassandra's clan off John and towards you, other than that you're not needed because my sister and I will deal with Cassandra." Liz explained. "Having five people distracting the other vamps, while John is crippled in agony will make battling Cassandra easier."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you didn't say John would be in agony!" Joss shook her head. If John was going to be hurt in this process then they weren't doing it.

"I'll be fine." He piped up having been quiet listening to everyone speak.

"No, what does she mean you'll be 'crippled in agony' what does that mean?" Joss spoke over him, not caring about his assurance he would be fine, not until she knew what Liz meant.

But it was Mags who spoke up. "Remember when I told you the further away John is from Cassandra the better, well it is true that the pull to her is greater. But also John's hunger intensifies tenfold, making the cramping crushing and debilitating." Mags explained. "Being anywhere near Cassandra is not good for John, but, it's the only way to lure her out."

"No, John has been through enough!"

"Detective this sounds like the only way." Root spoke up. "I know putting Lurch out on the front lines isn't what you have in mind, but, if this actually ends his torment don't you think we should do it?" Joss looked at John seeing the torment he was. He was being tortured, he couldn't hold out for much longer, and even the sisters thought using John as a way to lure Cassandra out was the way to go. But that didn't make her feel any better. The part of her that wasn't over what happened eight months ago was adamantly refusing this, not even wanting to think of using the man she loved as bait, for fear of losing him all over again. She couldn't go through that misery again. It had been hell the first time.

"You won't lose him." Liz said simply. Joss looked at John seeing his blue gaze on hers.

"Joss, I'll be fine. You know this is how it has to be."

"I know it's just….hard, John." She admitted. "So, um, when are we doing this?" she asked trying to shelve her concerns, doubts, and anguish about this away.

"In a few days, we are going to give you all basic training, just in case."

"Can't we just use garlic?" Shaw deadpanned making the sisters giggle.

"Sorry some of those silly notions about vampires are just that…silly." Liz assured. "We should have you guys ready by the end of this week or beginning of next." Today was Wednesday, so the sisters were aiming for Sunday or Monday. Her eyes lifted to John who appeared to be lost in thought.

"Can you hold out a few more days John?" Joss whispered touching his hand. His gaze fell onto her eyes, before he absently shrugged.

"I'll have too." And his answer left a worried expression on her face as he turned and moved to the window to peer out. 

* * *

AN: I had a lot of fun having Fusco and Shaw meet Mags and Liz. Okay here is the teaser for chapter 6(it's Careese-y too):

**"I ache Joss, I'm s-so hungry." He whimpered. "I can't take it anymore." He shuddered.**

**"What are you saying?" Joss demanded. "Are you saying I'm going to lose you, again? How is that fair? I can't do that, I can't watch you slowly slip away from me again! Let me go, John!" she tugged on her wrist not caring if she broke it.**

John's getting worse...poor guy. I'll be posting it on Saturday since I have my Saturday all to my itty bitty self :D Thanks everyone for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

It was Friday evening, Joss had left John's apartment Thursday morning unhappily, but necessary. Her body still ached but it had steadily gotten better, her bruises were already setting in and healing. She did have a son, she did have work, and things to do even though she wanted to stay behind with John and the sisters. Joss was warned by Fusco to watch her Ps and Qs with this Decima group, that if they felt she was still a threat they would not hesitate to try to kill her again, but succeeding this time. While she was ticked that she couldn't go after them, that she had to pretend to let them have the upper hand on her similar to swallowing the crap she had too from HR, she knew of the sisters' plan to help get rid of Samaritan and Decima once and for all after they saved John. John was first priority though he was in rough shape he was growing paler, more exhausted, and appeared to be in constant pain as Wednesday night progressed and the morning rose. She was so worried about him.

After work on Thursday she and the others all showed up at the special apartment John was staying at to train with the sisters. John remained in the bedroom the entire time, not wishing to see them. Mags tried to comfort them, but, she could tell the sisters were growing worried but needed them trained just in case. The sisters taught them how to stake a vampire. It was a little odd learning such a thing, but, they said it was just in case one of the vamps got to close to them. But unfortunately learning how to stake a vampire wasn't the simplest thing to learn, which surprised them all. There was a certain depth you had to shove the wooden stake into them to vanquish them. Now she understood why it was taking a few days to learn this. Mags said practice made perfect, that it had to be automatic something they didn't need to think about, because their lives depended on it.

She jerked herself out of her reverie as she knocked on the door of John's apartment, the door opened immediately and Mags stood there. "Hey Mags," she greeted but noticed the sad expression on her face.

"Hey, Jossy, come on in." she stepped back. Joss saw Finch and Root were already there. Shaw and Fusco weren't, she knew Fusco would be coming in about an hour he had a couple things to do before he could come here, and she supposed Shaw was working a case.

"How's John?" Joss demanded after entering and Mags shut the door.

"It's getting worse, we might need to hurry your training up. John is weak."

"What, what does that mean?"

"It means that if Cassandra realizes John is this weak she can control him without even being asleep. We need to break the curse soon as possible." She said quietly. "He's fighting a losing battle."

"We have already assured Ms. Margaret and Ms. Elizabeth that we are ready when they are. But they seem to think we need to practice tonight." Finch said drawing her attention to where he and Root were sitting on the couch.

"I'll determine that." Joss assured as she made her way for John's door, leaving the four of them in the living room. Joss knocked and when she got no answer, she decided to pretend that meant she could go in. She heard chuckles from the sisters obviously hearing her thoughts, but she ignored them, as she entered. She found John lying on his bed in the dark room. She closed the door behind her, not wanting their friends to overhear them. "Hey," she said.

"Go away Joss," even his voice sounded weak.

"No," she stated as she moved to the bed, she reached by him and flicked a switch on the lamp on filling the room with soft light, and shadows cascaded across his skin. He looked horrible. "We need to do this soon, you can't wait any longer." Joss sat down her hip pressing against his front. She reached out to stroke his cool face, her thumb rubbing at one of the dark circle under his eye. His hand reached up, encircled around her wrist, and removed her touch to his face.

"Please, I want to be alone." He whispered as he rolled over, turning to face away from her. Her heart ached because this wasn't John. John had no fight left he seemed so desolate, so devoid of anything.

"I can't do that, you have everyone worried, me included." She turned her body to stroke his tense shoulder, knowing he didn't want the touch, but she didn't give a damn. Because she did. There was a soft knock on the door, when John didn't even bother to greet it; she called out for them to come in. The sisters appeared.

"We decided we have to do this tonight."

"I agree, John's in severe pain, and he's incredibly weak." She agreed with a soft look at him before sliding from the bed. John didn't even bother to move. The door opened wider and a woman entered, she was elderly, her eyes were all white and she moved as if she could see.

"I can see, I just don't see with my eyes. I see with my heart." The elderly woman explained as if someone asked as she immediately made a beeline for John. "My boy, you are too weak." The woman touched John whom didn't even appear to respond. "Margaret and Elizabeth you took too long!"

"Sorry Zylphia we didn't expect it to take so long for John to meet with his friends who we needed to help us and we didn't want to push him." Liz defended.

"You love him too much, sometimes tough love is the way to go, and Johnny needed it. Always thinking he's a monster, always thinking he should be killed, and always needing something that he won't allow himself to receive." Zylphia said sternly as she crouched near John. "Rise up, my boy, time to fight."

"I can't…I'm so tired of fighting." He whispered.

"John that is not true! You are a natural fighter, you ache, you burn, you are tormented by the images in your mind, but you are stronger than it all. Stronger than your pain, stronger than your ache, and it is time to end your anguish. You have your friends around, you have people that care about you that will help you through this, do not disappoint them." Joss swallowed the need to tell this woman off. John wouldn't disappoint them if he can't find the strength to get out of bed. "Yes he will. He will disappoint me, his sisters, you, and his friends!" this Zylphia countered clearly being able to read her mind as well.

"That's not true." Joss argued not caring that this woman was supposedly all knowing! John didn't need someone telling him he was a disappointment!

"You defy me." Zylphia said turning from John to look in her general direction. Joss stared at the woman's blank eyes.

"Yes, John doesn't need you telling him he'd be a disappointment. He feels that way enough, leave him alone!" Joss watched as the blind elderly woman made her way towards her. The woman was shorter than her by nearly a foot, her long white hair flowed around her, and Joss looked down when she stood directly in front of her. Zylphia reached up and touched her face, softly.

"You fight for him."

"Always, because John would fight for me." Joss said simply.

"He needs you to fight for him now."

"That's what I'm doing."

"No you're not, you're fighting for yourself. You are fighting Cassandra, fighting John's darkness for yourself, because you do not want to lose him again. So now fight for him." Zylphia spoke. Joss turned to look at the sisters and they just nodded. She eyed John, who hadn't moved the entire time, hadn't spoken, and she got angry. He was giving up. She sidestepped the elderly woman missing her smile.

"John get up," she grabbed his arm. He was staring blankly ahead. "Snap out of it! You can do this, I always believed in you and I always will, so I know you have the strength to get up and fight her. If you can't do it for yourself, then do it for me and Finch. We have suffered months without you, because of you, so you owe us John! You owe us to fight for us, to fight this, and if you don't then I guess you never really cared about us at all." Joss knew it was a low blow but she didn't care at this point. John was giving up and she wasn't going to let him do so without a fight.

John's empty eyes slid to her. "That's not true."

"Prove it, get up, and fight for your life back." When he didn't move she shrugged. "I guess you lied to me when you said you loved me. I thought you were a man of your word." She snapped trying to provoke a response from him. She got it when his hand snapped around her wrist, he sat up quickly, and stared angrily in her eyes.

"I am a man of my word," he snarled.

"Haven't proven it to me, you claim to love me, but then won't fight for me. You are like my ex-husband when the going gets tough…quit." She tugged on her wrist. "Let go,"

"Get out!" he snapped.

"I'm trying trust me." She assured.

"I wasn't talking to you," he said so coldly, his eyes slid to the sisters and Zylphia. "Get out now, have everyone ready."

"Aye, aye, captain." Mags saluted him before the three scurried out, slamming the door shut, and left them alone. Joss gulped a little as she tried to wrest her wrist free from his tight clasp. He slid from the bed, towering over her, and she leaned her head back as she tried to take a step back.

"Let go, John." She said, damn it he was trying to intimidate her.

"You really think I lied to you as I was dying, struggling to tell you how I felt about you on my last breath?" he demanded as he shook.

"You wouldn't fight, you just laid there willing to let Cassandra take you from me!" she said as tears burned in the backs of her eyes knowing why Zylphia said he would disappoint them if he didn't fight. Because she was. "You tell me what that is, go on and try to tell me that you weren't giving up!"

"I ache Joss, I'm s-so hungry." He whimpered. "I can't take it anymore." He shuddered.

"What are you saying?" Joss demanded. "Are you saying I'm going to lose you, again? How is that fair? I can't do that, I can't watch you slowly slip away from me again! Let me go, John!" she tugged on her wrist not caring if she broke it.

But he didn't let go instead he tugged her to him, his mouth on hers, and she moaned. God, she had been waiting for his mouth to be on hers again. But this kiss wasn't like the morgue kiss. It was intense, passionate, and overwhelming. He made a noise that she didn't recognize as he shoved his tongue into her mouth, his lips were hard and rough on hers, and she matched his intense need. Joss wasn't going to let this moment pass her by, she eagerly pushed closer to him, her tongue not about to let him have all the fun. She didn't want the kiss to ever end, as she lifted her free hand to rest on his shoulder, and she felt his teeth sink into her bottom lip roughly. She moaned slightly at the pain but she welcomed it, because she loved that he wanted her so much. John ran his tongue across her lips making the sexiest sound she ever heard, which she couldn't even describe or focus on because he shoved her away from him forcefully. Joss let out a startled sound of protest, watching him take several steps away from her, and his entire body was shaking.

"John…"

"Get out of the room." He whispered.

"Wh-what-why, John?" She whispered confused. She felt hot by the damn kiss and then cold by the way he was reacting to it.

"Please just get out of the room, Joss!" he cried and she was petrified by the way he was acting. He was near panic. She decided to heed his request as she hurried out of his room, closing the door, and she heard an animalistic scream escape him and a harsh thud. She swallowed hard as she eyed the people in the living room.

"Is he okay?" Joss whispered shakily.

"He will be once the curse is broken," Zylphia said quietly.

* * *

No one in the SUV said a word. John sat between the sisters in the back of the SUV, while Fusco drove, Finch in the passenger seat, and she along with Root sat between them all. Her eyes kept straying to John in the back, seeing the sisters were rubbing his arms as if trying to soothe him. She knew they probably could read his mind, hearing the anguish he was in.

"Remember the training," Mags said.

"Yep, we are going to kick some vampire ass!" Fusco grinned.

"Only if need be, Lionel, otherwise try to remain as far ahead of them as possible while luring them away from John." Liz said, before hitting the earwig in her ear that each one of them was wearing except John. "Are you in position, Sam?" she asked Shaw, and since they were out in the open they had to use the fake names once more.

"Yes, I am. I so can't wait to use this bad-boy; once John feels better I am so going to boast about it to him!" Joss rolled her eyes. Of course she would be excited to shoot off a grenade launcher.

"Good, keep your thoughts blank. Cassandra is good at hearing thoughts too. If she knows you are there then we won't be able to surprise her, and please don't hit John."

"You question my skills, Mags, you won't soon enough once I make the blood-sucker, go boom!" Shaw snickered and they all had a collective roll of the eyes, except for John. He was blankly staring.

"I'll walk it from here." He said quietly. Fusco nodded his head pulling over to let him out of the SUV. Joss touched his hand as he made his way out. He didn't react to it at all, didn't seem to feel anything, and she was so worried about him.

"He'll be alright, Joss." Mags assured. They parked curbside, Finch, Root, and Fusco pulled on ski-masks while she left hers off. She was willing to risk being seen by this Samaritan, because John was who she was truly worried about. They all watched with binoculars, waiting for the moment when Cassandra and her army came. Shaw was going to shoot the grenade launcher from afar while keeping hidden, hit near them, and when they were distracted they were going to show up.

"Why couldn't Zylphia enchant him and us?" Joss questioned. She wanted John protected, damn it.

"Cassandra would find out there is an enchantment on John and she would leave immediately, we need to do this without the protective enchantment on him. About us, placing a protective enchantment takes a lot out of Zylphia on just one person she isn't strong enough to place an enchantment on everyone here." Liz explained. "Now you guys remember the plan? You guys are here as decoys not to stop Cassandra." Liz gave Joss a pointed look.

"Yes, we remember, we are going to save Mr. Sunshine come hell or high water!" Fusco stated. He eyed his partner. They had too, not just for John's sake but for Carter's.

* * *

John ached so badly, his cramping his stomach was nearly overwhelming, and he had no idea how much longer he could hold out. But he didn't want to let Joss down, she been through so much. Suddenly John cried out, the pain in his stomach was so intense so crippling it felt like his intestines were ripping out. He fell to the ground, writhing in agony. No bullet wound he ever had or torture he ever endured in the CIA was as painful as the hunger he felt right this moment. He limply grabbed at his stomach.

"So hungry," he blinked looking up seeing Cassandra appear. She had short spiky blonde hair, pale skin, and rich red lips. "I knew you couldn't hold out much longer, you're mine." Cassandra grinned. "Time to end your hunger John, and time to join me where you belong." Cassandra was crouching in front of him, stroking his face.

Suddenly the ground shook, Cassandra made a startled sound, several of her clan had scattered, and he knew Shaw had struck. "Stay away from him." John turned seeing Margaret and Elizabeth standing about twenty yards from them, stakes in hand, but no one else.

"You damn Dark Angels keep getting in the way! He's mine!" Cassandra growled. "Get them." John watched helplessly as her sired vampires rushed Mags and Liz. He moaned as he pushed free of Cassandra, climbing to his feet slowly with the last ounce of his strength trying to get away from her. "You're not getting away this time, John." he gasped as a wave of tremendous pain burned through his stomach, felt like he was burning from the inside, and the pain made him double over. He felt her try to get into his thoughts and he struggled to keep her out. He thought of Joss and only her. John collapsed to the ground once more, his body unable to stay upright, he held his stomach while Cassandra crouched above him.

"Any time now," Mags whispered into the earwig.

"Don't worry, we're coming." Fusco assured and suddenly their SUV they rode in drove directly into the vampires from the side, sending some of them flying. Joss, Fusco, Finch, and Root exited running from the SUV luring a few vampires their way, while the others were trying to recover from being rammed with the SUV. Mags and Liz rushed their way to Cassandra and John.

"Incoming," Shaw said through their earwigs. And seconds later, another explosion happened, blowing up their SUV and four of the male vampires were lit on fire after not being able to get away from the explosion quick enough.

Joss saw the man she loved on the ground, making a choked whimpering sound. He was writhing on the ground in obvious physical pain, and she never in her life saw John in such a way and tears blinded her, because it was Cassandra that was doing it to him. She could tell the vampire bitch was trying to get into his mind, she was nearly on top of him.

Mags and Liz rushed towards where they were at, but were both sent flying when they got too close, Cassandra grabbing them and flinging them. Joss rushed her from behind, but was sent flying herself landing hard on her back. "You're human," Cassandra sneered, eyes off of John, who was a grayish tint.

"Back off blood-sucking bitch, he's mine!" Joss snarled as she slowly got to her feet. She heard Mags and Liz screaming at her to get away. Joss never was one to sit on the sidelines.

"Actually my dear, he's mine." Cassandra grinned, and Joss watched John as he appeared to be out of it, slowly stand up. "He's too weak to fight me off, feed off of her." Cassandra commanded. Joss watched in horror as her friends weren't fairing all that well with the vampires chasing after them. Root had an arm around Finch's helping him run away from the vampires chasing after them. They were doing their job of distracting them, Shaw had done hers, while Mags and Liz tried to get close to Cassandra but she sent them flying each time they did. She flung them away like they weren't anything but gnats. Liz was thrown far and landed harshly against a parked car, smashing through the windshield.

Mags ran at John to tackle him away from Cassandra, but he flung her away himself. Mags landed wrong, she let out a muffled cry as she hit the ground. "Feed off the woman that you love." Cassandra said as she was behind him, near his ear, and her hands were on John's hips.

"John, fight it." Joss begged taking a few steps back but they were advancing on her quick.

"Joss run!" Mags cried, as she tried pushing herself to her feet.

"No, he won't hurt me."

"He's being controlled." Liz shouted. "We can't save him, it's our fault we waited too long, he's too weak and Cassandra's too strong. Joss come here, I'll protect you!" Liz cried as she ran toward her, bleeding from a gash across her forehead.

"Why does everyone stop believing in him," Joss said while tears slid down her cheeks, she wasn't going to give up on him. Cassandra was right behind him, Joss held onto the stake watching as they came up to her. She had only one chance here.

"Bite her," Cassandra commanded, John grabbed her hair wrenching her head to the side, his mouth near her neck. She felt his tremble, his eyes were on her and she saw it, John was still with her—barely but he was.

"Save me," he whispered his mouth opened, the fangs distended, but John dipped his body a little giving her the opening to Cassandra she needed. Joss took the stake and lunged forward into John but only to jam the stake into Cassandra's chest. She shoved it deep like she was taught, John fell to the ground immediately at her feet, and Cassandra's face was shocked as she looked down. Joss watched as she became dust before her eyes, the vampires that Finch, Fusco, and Root were struggling against turned to dust.

"John," Joss cried as she dropped the wooden stake on the ground, sunk to her knees before him, and touched his cheek. His eyes were shut, he was pale, and she pressed two shaky fingers to his neck. When she found a pulse, she nearly sobbed in relief. Margaret, Liz, and the others ran to where they were at. "Mags, Liz, is he going to be alright?"

"We need to take him to Zylphia, we never actually saved anyone from a vampire before, because they never were strong enough." Mags whispered touching John lovingly. "Thatta boy," she whispered and Liz hefted John like he weighed nothing and she realized vampires weren't the only ones that had super strength.

Shaw hurried over. "Is he alright?"

"We aren't sure, they are rushing him back to the apartment to see Zylphia." Joss said as they couldn't keep up with the sisters who sprinted off with John, nor did they have a vehicle to use.

"Kicking vampire ass isn't nearly as awesome as I thought it would be," Fusco griped. "It was actually a lot harder than it looks." They hid from the cameras in the alleyways to pull off the ski-masks while the sound of sirens filled the air off in the distance.

"You okay Harold?" Joss asked rubbing the poor man's arm. He looked shaken but nodded. They rushed through the back alleys to the next street to hail taxis and head to the apartment where John was being taken.

* * *

AN: Of course I had to have Joss be the one to save John, it's just right. John and Joss are always there for one another! And sorry no teasers for next chapter :D Thank you for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Joss watched him sleep. He had been out of it for days, Zylphia said it was just exhaustion making him sleep so much. Shaw inserted an IV drip into him to get him hydrated, while he slept off the months of torment and exhaustion he suffered. Joss slept next to him, curled into his side. The nightmare was over but she had a feeling the healing would be just beginning. Not just for John but for her, Finch, and the team. The sisters were true to their word helping the gang out with their little problem. It was easy for supernatural beings to get to Decima. Samaritan was turned off, the machine back in its place, and Greer along with his merry men were arrested for terrorist activity. It was a good day that her friends didn't have to live in hiding for fear of being found out anymore.

She paced back and forth. Her friends had gone out to celebrate tonight, Mags and Liz had gone with them, and Finch was buying. She stayed back, stayed with John, even though none of them figured he would awaken for another day or so. Joss just couldn't leave him, she didn't want him to awaken and be alone. Joss slid onto the bed once more, curling into him, and watched him sleep. Her son told her he was happy that Mr. Badass was alive. She had to kind of fib to her son, telling him that John had to fake his death, and she was extracting him from witness protection. There was no way her son would understand or believe the last week she just had, nor would she try to explain it, it was better this way.

She lifted her right hand to stroke his soft cheek lovingly. He had color back in his cheeks finally, and he was warm to the touch. He moaned a little as he shifted and she smiled as she eyed him. Come on baby wake up. "John," she whispered softly. She watched as his eyes tried to flutter open, those lashes however remained on his cheeks. "Come on, baby, wake up please."

"Joss," he whispered so softly. His eyes fluttered again and those lashes managed to lift for her. She caught site of those baby blues before they were covered by his lids again. His eyes opened again and this time they stayed open longer, she smiled as she caught them as they looked around wildly. "Joss," he whispered again.

"Hi there." She greeted feeling emotional. It felt like it had been a long time since she had her best friend who she loved more than anything back. And even though he had gone through hell, he smiled at her like it had been nothing.

"Hi," he greeted back. "Where am I?" although he was still a bit groggy as he yawned.

"Still at the apartment your _sisters_ enchanted for you. You aren't strong enough to go home, it's been months of torment and torture that has run you down, plus lack of sleep. You've been through a lot John."

"Feels like it was a dream." He murmured looking up at the ceiling. "A really bad dream."

"That's over now." She gently touched his cheek, pulling until his eyes met hers. "For both of us, I never thought I'd see you again John." She admitted hating the burning at the backs of her eyes. He wasn't ready for a heavy conversation of feelings, or tears, or any of it so she stubbornly refused to let them out.

"I never thought I'd see you again either." He admitted. Silence followed, her eyes shifted to his lips that she so desperately wanted to kiss, before lifting her gaze back up to his eyes. Joss lowered her head, giving him time to realize what she was going to do, and he sighed as she took his mouth with hers. She tamped down on the need to push for more than he could give. He was still exhausted mentally and physically so was she to be perfectly honest. After several moments of kissing softly, she deepened the kiss, leaning into him and she sighed before breaking free.

"How are you feeling?" she asked after a moment. His eyes were watchful.

"Getting better, I don't ache like before."

"That's good,"

"How about you Joss, how are you?" he asked quietly. Her eyes met his.

"It's been a long eight months without you, John, it was hell to be honest. But having you back, safely, makes the months I suffered worth it." He yawned harshly, his eyes drooping. "Go to sleep, John, you need it. Months of not sleeping well has thrown you for a loop, you're weak, and you'll feel like yourself in no time."

"Please be here when I wake up," he whispered as he fought sleep. "I don't want to wake up and learn this was a dream, I've dreamt that you'd be here with me for so long, Joss."

"Of course I'll be here, I'll always be by your side like you always are at mine." She said gruffly this time unable to keep her emotions under lock and key. Tears pooled in her eyes, watching as his eyes slid shut. She cuddled him close while he slept, and she silently cried.

* * *

"So you and Reese are going on a date?" Shaw wondered as she lay on her stomach on Joss's bed, eating a candy bar facing her, as she rifled through her closet. It had been two weeks since John got his life back, two weeks of him remaining in that apartment that the sisters enchanted allowing John to gain his strength back. He had been so worn down from what happened he had caught the flu, nearly being rushed to the hospital when he couldn't stop dry heaving, until Shaw gave him a nice shot to the butt to stop it for him. Shaw had way too much fun since then reminding John she got to see his tush, though he griped at Shaw, he looked better. She believed this was the first illness John had in a while and it hit him hard, due to months of torment. He was just bouncing back, he was still far too skinny.

"Sort of, he thinks its friendly dinner, but I'm treating it as a date."

"Shaved your legs?"

"Of course,"

"So you're expecting sex then,"

"No not expecting it, more like hoping for it Shaw." Joss explained as she eyed her closet. She grabbed the two dresses she narrowed it down to. "Okay opinion time, Shaw. Femme fatale," she held out the slinky red number that had a plunging V-neck that showed off ample cleavage and then at the bodice it had faux diamonds in the shape of a circle. "Or girl next door." She then held out a cute but modest blue dress.

"Well no girl next door would wear the sexy underwear you got on right now Carter, so I say if you really want sexy femme fatale lose the thong and go commando." Shaw grinned. "Then put Reese's hand there, he'll be all over you in seconds flat. Guy has had a boner for you since I met you guys." Shaw said polishing off her candy bar with a licking of her fingers. "Besides Reese had been tormented for months thanks to that Cassandra bitch, may as well give him something of a good surprise. What man doesn't like his woman going commando." Joss couldn't believe it but she was going to do as Shaw said.

"Thanks Shaw," Joss said happily as she took the red dress into her bathroom, removed her underwear, slid the dress on, and felt sexy. She fixed her hair, applied her smoky makeup, and exited. Shaw bounced on the bed to sit up.

"Hot damn, Reese is going to want to bone you in the restaurant."

"Thanks….I think." Joss said.

* * *

John lifted his hand to knock on Joss's door, it felt foreign to do so since he never actually knocked before, but he rasped his knuckles against the door. The door opened and he blinked in surprise when Shaw answered it rather than Joss. "Shaw, what are you doing here?"

"Helping Carter choose an outfit."

"She's wearing army fatigues isn't she?" He teased.

"No, you'll thank me later." She laughed. "Hopefully tonight Carter will get to see that nice ass of yours." He scowled at her as she reminded him yet again she saw his ass, making her snicker.

"Hi John," he turned his attention from Shaw to Joss, and felt immediately parched. She quite possibly was the hottest woman in the world. Her hair was curled, her makeup was dark, she smelled tempting, and her red dress fit her like a glove. The red dress plunged in the front giving him a nice look at her cleavage and he swallowed hard.

"Joss, you look…" hot, sexy were words he wanted to say but he chose one that was a bit nicer than that. "Beautiful."

"Thanks, John, you look damn good yourself." She sighed as she eyed him. He had foregone his typical man in the suit attire, rather choosing a silky charcoal gray colored dress shirt paired with dress slacks. It was warm out so he wasn't wearing a suit blazer and showed off his slim but trim body.

He nearly forgot, he pulled his hand from behind his back holding a single red rose, he had purchased it thinking Joss wouldn't want anything as flashy as a bouquet but this wasn't even a date. She had asked him to dinner because they had some things to discuss, and he had agreed. She didn't say date and he felt like a fish out of water.

"I…I didn't know why I bought this, to be honest." He said feeling stupid now. But Joss smiled as she took the lone rose, inhaled it, and sighed.

"I'm glad you did. I love it, John." She turned disappearing into her home, clearly to go put the pitiful lone flower in a vase, and he remained on her front stoop. She peered back at him. "What are you doing?" she asked with a large smile on her face.

"Well…er…I….um….thought I'd wait for you here." He stuttered miserably. He never could talk to any woman, he got tongue tied with all of them.

"Get your butt in here," she commanded before turning. God was he cute, she couldn't stop giggling as she walked towards her kitchen hearing the door to her place shut slowly signifying he had done as she asked. John was definitely getting tongue tied around her, he brought her a rose, and he had dressed so damn hot for their date. It was simple; a dark colored dress shirt bringing out those eyes of his, and she wanted to push him onto her couch, and do naughty things to him. Joss sighed as she imagined just what she wanted to do to him.

She leaned down opened a cabinet, grabbed a vase, and turned to fill it with water. She caught sight of him watching her, she felt his eyes on her. In her haste, she grabbed the rose, and yelped a little when she grabbed a thorn. Damn it, now that was sexy….yelping because of a stupid injury any sane woman wouldn't get if they weren't so damned distracted. "Joss, are you okay?"

"Fine, I grabbed a thorn." She waved her hand to wave away the sting.

"They told me they cut them all off," he stated looking upset, like it was his fault.

"Well the florist missed one, its okay." She offered but he took a hold of her hand to peer at it.

"Joss, it's bleeding." He said tugging her to the sink, where he turned the faucet on, rushing cold water over her index finger. Joss let him fuss for a few moments so she could inhale his scent, he smelled so good. He always did.

"John I'm fine." She sounded sick if you asked her. His eyes fell to hers, before he looked away shut the faucet off and eyed her finger carefully. "You want to order in?" she blurted out.

"What?" he asked amused as he lifted his gaze off her finger.

"We need to talk and to be honest John I don't want to go out tonight. I don't want the formality, I just want to have dinner with you here." She shrugged after several moments she waved him off. "Forget it we have reservations."

"No, it's okay." He said smiling a little. "We can order in." and she smiled back in return.

* * *

Joss and John sat in her living room with beer and pizza about fifteen minutes later. She was glad she suggested they stay in, because John was relaxed a bit, and their conversation hinged on him being relaxed. They both had kicked off their shoes, relaxing, and eating. John was gaining some weight back she noticed, and he had polished off his second piece of pizza while she just finished her first.

"Pizza is good," he commented as he grabbed another piece after taking a swig of beer.

"Yeah, I love this place because they have these grinders too, they are de-li-cious." She said with a smile. She wiped at her mouth with a napkin, watching him a bit, and he appeared content. "John?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Do you remember a lot from the night you were shot by Simmons?" she asked quietly. He looked at her. He didn't say anything while he chewed but he did put the piece of pizza down, turning to eye her.

"Some of it."

"What do you remember?"

"I remember we were talking outside of the precinct. I told you I wanted nobody but you beside me, and then he appeared."

"Do you remember him actually shooting you, repeatedly?"

"Vaguely, that part's a bit fuzzy. I remember after that; I remember being on the ground, the pain, and I remember telling you that I love you."

"So you don't remember standing in front of me like a human shield?" she asked turning to look at her beer hiding the fact that tears welled up. She pretended to find her beer bottle fascinating before she took a hefty swig of it. He didn't comment, he gently touched her cheek, and she realized a tear leaked out.

"I remember not wanting you to get hurt. You're someone this world can't lose."

"John…." Her voice caught and she cleared her throat. "You are someone I couldn't lose." She said as she forced her gaze up onto his. "I told you in the morgue if anything happened to you I'd hate you forever, and I did I hated you for stepping in front of me, protecting me."

"Joss, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"I know you would," she agreed. "When you died in my arms, a part of me died with you."

"Joss…."

"No I need to tell you this, you need to know what those months without you were like. I lost myself, John, I did. I hated the world for taking you away from me. It was like I was alive but not living, if that makes any sense. Days turned to weeks that turned into months without you, and each day was harder than the last. You told me you loved me, but you died before I could…." He touched her cheek to quiet her, so he could speak.

"Joss, I do love you, but I have never felt good enough for you."

"You died protecting me, saving me, and you have suffered months of torment because even after death you loved me so much that you didn't want me to be alone." Joss was losing her small tenuous grip on her emotions but she stubbornly held on. "I have never been loved that deeply before, to have a man willingly lay his life down for me. I was always alone." She paused, gathering herself. "There is no one better for me than you are, John, not a single blessed soul. No man will ever love me the way that you love me, just as no woman will ever love you the way I love you." She heard his sharp intake of breath, she caught his hand with hers, and linked their fingers together. "I didn't get to tell you that night because you died in my arms before I could, John I love you."

"Joss," he said quietly and Joss lost her hold on her emotions, because she was crying. John pulled her into his arms, she buried her face into his shoulder and cried. It felt like a million pound weight off of her, telling him how she felt about him, and him actually getting to hear it and not some empty grave. This was her second chance, to be with him, and she was pouncing on it. Well she would once she could get herself under control. But her pain over what had happened all those months ago, being in his arms finally after all this time, she decided she needed a nice long cry. Because she couldn't stop, god, she had to apologize for sobbing on him like this. Joss felt embarrassed by the strangled noises she made, while he held her in his arms. After several minutes she finally felt herself calm down. She forced herself back, she saw tear streaks down his own cheeks.

She cupped his strong jaws, rubbing away the wetness, staring into his glittering blue eyes. "John, we belong together. No more thinking you're not good enough."

"Joss, I have never felt worthy of anyone especially you. When I look at you I see a beautiful woman with an amazing heart, when I see myself I see something that should have been put down years ago."

She slapped him hard on the arm. "Say that again and it will be harder." She poked him in the chest. "I love you, so deal with it, because I'm not letting my second chance slip by."

"Joss I need to tell you something, something that will make you think differently."

"There is nothing you can say that will make me stop loving you and make me not want to be with you, John." She said but by the way he looked away from her, he didn't believe her. Then she would just have to prove it to him.

John took a deep breath before he looked up into her eyes. "Those men that attacked you, those men that were beating you, it's true I saved you from them because I killed them. I killed them all." She stared into his eyes seeing no remorse, no guilt for killing them, but she did see apprehension. He was truly worried she would not want him, would not be able to love him after learning it.

She took a moment to speak she had to find the right way to explain herself to him, and make sure he heard her. "It's true I don't believe in executing people, I don't believe in you playing God getting to choose their fate for them, but does that make me not love you and make me not want to be with you….no it doesn't." Joss stated making sure she kept eye contact. "John, you weren't yourself during that time, had you been you would have kneecapped them I know that in my heart."

"Does that really excuse my actions, Joss? I killed them because I wanted too, I didn't want to save them because of what they were doing to you. The two approaching you were there just so you couldn't escape."

"Do you think I didn't want revenge on Simmons when he killed you, huh? Do you really think I didn't want to empty my clip into that bastard? I thought about it, I thought about killing him for taking you from me."

"But you didn't, because you're not a killer Joss."

"I didn't because I didn't find Simmons!" she countered. "Fusco did, he arrested him because he figured that's what I would have wanted, but it wasn't what I wanted at the time. At the time I wanted Simmons' head. I wanted him dead but someone else killed Simmons which I have my theories on who it was, but, during that time I didn't even know about the manhunt for Simmons or his fate because I locked myself away in your apartment. Finch took me there, and I stayed there for days, my son tried his damnedest to get me home. But I couldn't, you were there John. Your scent, your clothes, your life was there and I wanted to be with you somehow. So Tay and Finch took care of me there. It wasn't until your small memorial Finch had for you that got me out of your place, but I stole a couple of your unwashed shirts." She admitted with a soft watery laugh. "I'm keeping them by the way."

"Our situations were a little different, Joss, you weren't a monster you were grieving."

"You weren't a monster then and you certainly aren't one now. There is nothing you can do or say that will make me want you any less, John. Yes you killed those men, yes I don't agree with it, but I can't fault you for it when I don't know if I would have killed Simmons had I found him first. I don't know what I would have done to be perfectly honest, John I was in a bad way when you died. So no, you killing those men does not make me love you any less, and I won't hear of it anymore." She stated. She was done with this conversation. He wasn't a monster, end of story.

"Joss…"

"I said no more," she said firmly giving him a stern look. "No more, we're equal, no more thinking you aren't good enough for me."

"Are you sure, Joss?"

"I'm sure John, I love you even if you don't fully love yourself."

"I'm not that great at relationships," he tried. "None of my relationships ever worked."

"That's because you never were with me, we were just meant to be, John, those other relationships of yours and mine weren't meant to last, they were meant to draw us together."

"You really believe that?" he questioned softly, touching her cheek.

"I believe we belong together, no matter how long our lives last we will be together till the end." Joss spoke confidently.

"I will always be by your side, Joss." He agreed pulling her to him, his mouth inches from hers.

"As I will be by yours, John." She whispered before she took his lips with hers. The kiss felt different, it felt like it was closing some sort of door to old pain, while opening another to their future, together.

* * *

AN: So this is the end for everyone that hates smut :D because chapter 8 has some loving and I'm posting both chapters back to back. I wasn't going to but I decided why not :D So I want to thank everyone for reading and willing to take this ride with me. It was so fun to write my first ever supernatural story. I'll be updating Careese Themes with some fluffy pieces and Sooner or Later will be updated this week! So whoop whoop! Careese is forever, baby, they aren't ever going to go away! Or shall I say #CareeseisEternal!

and Nhken I have your requested Careese smutty smut fest that has very little plot and whole lotta of smut coming :D


	8. Chapter 8

_**AN: some smutty loving :D they sort of deserve some loving after what they went through!**_

* * *

John sighed into the kiss as it deepened. He never believed he would have a chance with her. He had almost given up hope he would escape Cassandra, he had hoped Margaret and Elizabeth would have just killed him. But he was so glad he'd survived the months of torment, the months of utter exhaustion, because it was so worth it, being in her arms.

Wait, wait, wait…they hadn't even had a date yet. He wanted to treat her right. He pulled his mouth from hers, for her only to take his once more. He sighed as he tried to lean back but she followed, stubbornly. He pushed her back with his hands on her shoulders. "Joss, you deserve a date and everything before we just…."

"Fall into bed," she supplied.

"Yes."

"Well, what if I want to fall into bed, John?" she questioned rubbing her hands up and down his forearms. "What if I really was hoping this would happen tonight?"

"Joss…"

"Come on John, I am wearing this red come hither dress for a reason. I was hoping sex would happen tonight, weren't you?"

"Yes, but, we didn't even go out though, this isn't even a real date."

"It wasn't? We ate, we talked, we told each other how we feel, and the sexual tension between us has been off the charts between us for a couple years now. I'm tired of waiting. This is our second chance John, I'm not wasting even a second of it." She pushed forward and she took his mouth with hers again. When she was right she was right. He was pressed down into the couch cushion beneath her, she laid on top of him, while his right foot remained on the floor because her couch wasn't all that big, as her tongue settled deep into his mouth. Mmmm, she was a fine kisser. Her tongue rolled across his, playfully, and when she lifted her head he followed wanting more. She giggled when she freed her mouth from his to find his racing pulse and suck at his neck.

"God, Joss." He sighed as she sucked gently at his neck, her pelvis rubbed up against his, and her hands were undoing his dress shirt buttons that she could reach. He felt her tongue swirling on his neck, making him moan. She sat back eyeing him.

"You're hot, all rumpled, John." She whispered before taking his mouth with hers again. He sat up, pushing her back, wanting her beneath him, but she slipped free and stood up.

"I want our first time in my bed," she said with a grin. "Then we can do it wherever you want to next."

"Anywhere?" he cocked a brow, letting her take his hand, tugging him towards the stairs.

"Anywhere," she promised as they took the steps slowly because she hadn't turned to face the stairs, but rather was now taking them while looking down at him. "I love you, John."

"I love you too, Joss," he said, still quite sure that this was a wonderful erotic dream he was having because he wasn't sure how this woman could ever love him. When they reached her bedroom, she took his mouth with hers again, she was pushing him back towards her bed obviously wanting to call the shots. The backs of his knees hit her mattress and he sat down. She sighed as she remained standing in front of him. He grabbed her butt, tugging her to straddle him. Her tongue pushed into his mouth again, she pushed him back, until he laid back. She rubbed against him, feeling so good. She tore her mouth free of his to moan as he urged her hips on, grinding her against him.

Joss took his mouth into a searing kiss, she grabbed his left hand, slipped it beneath her dress and he gasped as he touched her slick heat. For fuck's sake she wasn't wearing any panties! He tore his mouth free, flipping them over. "Joss, no underwear…" he moaned, shoving her dress up exposing her. He sank to his knees before the bed, sliding her thighs over his shoulders.

"Oh, John," it was her turn to moan as he found her swollen nub of desire. She was wet for him. He searched and explored her folds softly, wanting to feast on her, but trying to bottleneck the urge to devour her. There was a time and place for what he wanted to do and he had a feeling Joss would appreciate lovemaking first, before he feasted. She did say he could take her anywhere he wanted next time….he'd just assume that meant he could take her ANYWAY he wanted too. He held her thighs as he sucked gently, judging by her sighs not many of her lovers before ever done this for her, or did it right. He pressed a soft kiss to her before standing up, he would rectify that for her soon.

He took his socks off first, and then undid the rest of his shirt yanking it from his body. Joss licked her lips as she eyed his body before she stood up unzipping her dress letting it pool at her feet. He thought he just lost brain function because she was amazing. She unhooked her bra letting that flimsy material fall to the floor too before standing in front of him naked. She took his mouth with hers, helping him undo his belt buckle. John let her do it so he could touch her breasts, pinch her nipples, and kiss her passionately. He moaned into her mouth as she got his pants undone, slid a hand into them and grabbed him.

She spun them around, pushing him onto the bed, and he landed with a soft bounce. He watched as she grabbed the elastic of his underwear and his pants waist band before tugging them down his body. Her eyes widened and darkened with desire as she eyed his cock that was hard for her. She threw his clothes off to the side, climbed on the bed, and crawled on top of him. Their mouths met, he rolled her over, but she shook her head rolling him back onto his back. She broke the kiss. "On your back, this time John, I'm calling the shots," She purred, straddling him. "I got a feeling you enjoy being in charge, John," she whispered, grabbing his large cock in her right hand, settling him at her entrance.

"I got a feeling you enjoy being in charge, Joss," he moaned right back as she inserted just his tip inside her slick heat. "Wait…condom…." He managed to get out.

"Don't need one, pill."

"Thank god," he groaned as he surged up and she moaned hotly as she met his upward thrust, pushing down. When they were fully joined they both froze, it felt amazing. Her eyes were open, staring down at him, he stared right back at her.

"How about a compromise," she moaned as she laid her hands back, leaning back. "Sit up, John." He did as she asked, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They both were sitting, staring at one another. Their mouths came together as they slowly moved together. They broke the kiss to groan, she laid her cheek against his shoulder. "Next time you're on your back," she gasped.

"Next time you're on your back," he corrected. "Remember you said I chose anywhere our second time." He reminded as their thrusts got quicker.

"Fine, you're on your back the time after that, and I'm gonna ride you all night long." She bit on his shoulder.

"Uh-huh, deal." He moaned as the sex raged on, he couldn't think straight, and he would have agreed to anything she said in this moment. Their eyes met. He could tell she was almost there, just by the way she was clinging to him, her moans were louder, and her sex was clenching him tighter.

Neither one looked away, he felt her orgasm just seconds before she cried his name. Her spasms rocked her, he couldn't hold out any longer himself, because he followed her into abyss softly moaning her name into her hair as he came. Slowly they came back to the world, they boneless-ly slid back to the bed, and she lay on top of him. "Mmm that was perfect," she sighed.

"I'll say," he agreed. "We should have done this a while ago."

"Yeah but someone had to be stubborn," she teased and he laughed. "But you were worth the wait, John." She said sobering up. He eyed her.

"So were you." he whispered before trailing his fingertips down her cheek. She climbed off of him, snuggling into his side, and smiled when he yawned.

"Still not fully caught up are you? Go to sleep, John." She kissed his cheek, watching him fight Hypnos, the Greek God of Sleep. "We have the rest of our lives to determine who will be on their back next," she promised.

"It's you," he reminded as he yawned and his eyes slid shut for longer this time.

"I think it's you."

"No you…" he was getting quieter and quieter. And soon his breathing evened out, his eyes remained shut, and she gently stroked her fingers across his skin, thanking god she had him in her life. 

* * *

AN: Thanks again to everyone that read! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX


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